Chapter 70 Thunderous Fury Chen Junbo's expression was as if he wanted to devour her whole...

Chen Junbai's icy gaze swept over the trembling man, each word seemingly squeezed out from between clenched teeth: "When did my Chen family ever raise a servant like you who disrespects his master?!"

Although he was speaking to the maid, the ruthlessness in his words sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the room.

"What are you all standing there for!" he shouted angrily as he turned around. Only then did the servants get busy, no longer daring to be careless in their movements.

The girl who had been standing there earlier was also shaking her leg as she hurried off to urge the person in front to fetch the doctor.

Everyone already knew that the young mistress was favored by the young master, but they were annoyed because being woken up from her bed in the middle of the night was not a pleasant experience.

Now, suppressed by Chen Junbai's shout, they all came back to their senses. Goodness, how could they forget... although the young mistress was unconscious, the young master was still standing outside.

After Xiaolu took over, the servants and maids moved much lighter, and Liyang's sobs gradually subsided.

Chen Junbo stood outside the screen, listening to the rustling sounds inside, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He noticed the lingering sleepiness on the maid's face and her undisguised perfunctory attitude when she came out. Having grown up in a secluded mansion, how could he not understand the opportunistic nature of these servants?

Zhao Zhao was simple-minded and kind to her servants. These unruly servants let her sleep in her room without closing the door for her or even putting a coat on her, leaving her to catch a chill.

Thinking of this, a nameless anger quietly rose within me.

Chen Junbo's wife cannot tolerate being slighted by others.

Just then, the doctor arrived in a hurry, carrying his medicine box. Chen Junbai personally led him inside, and only after the doctor examined his pulse and prescribed medicine, explaining that it was just a common cold and that taking the medicine would relieve the symptoms, did Chen Junbai's tense nerves relax slightly.

After seeing the doctor off, Xiao Lu went to prepare the medicine, and the inner room became quiet for a while.

Chen Junbo's gaze swept over the group of people standing at their sides in the courtyard, their faces showing signs of exhaustion. His expression was calm and composed, but his voice carried an undeniable air of authority: "Everyone on duty tonight will have half their monthly pay deducted."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people below immediately changed. He seemed not to notice, his gaze falling on the maid who had just come out to "see the doctor," and continued, "As for you, you were not attentive enough in serving the maid in the inner room. Go to the steward and get ten strokes of the cane. Tomorrow you will be transferred to the laundry room."

There were no harsh rebukes, yet every word was as cold as ice.

The maid's face turned deathly pale instantly. The laundry room was the most arduous and exhausting place in the mansion, and this punishment was tantamount to ruining her future in the inner courtyard.

Her legs went weak, and she wanted to beg for mercy, but when she met Chen Junbai's cold eyes, she swallowed all her words and could only reply in a trembling voice, "...Yes, young master."

The courtyard was completely silent. All the servants held their breath and lowered their heads. The resentment caused by being disturbed in the middle of the night was instantly replaced by fear and alertness.

Only now did they clearly realize what the bottom line was of this young master who usually seemed the most agreeable.

Chen Junbo didn't look at them again and turned to walk into the inner room.

Amidst the pervasive aroma of medicine, Li Yang had been properly settled, and Xiao Lu was carefully wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.

He walked to the bedside and gazed at her face, which was flushed abnormally due to fever. She seemed to still feel unwell in her sleep, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Chen Junbo waved for Xiao Lu to get down, and then sat down in the armchair by the bed.

Under the flickering candlelight, Li Yang lay quietly, her long hair spread out, her cheeks flushed from the high fever, her lips chapped, and her usually bright eyes tightly closed, her long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath them.

He wrung out a warm towel and awkwardly placed it on her forehead. His fingertips inadvertently touched her burning skin, and the anger that had just ignited in his heart gradually subsided.

The image of her chatting happily with the foreigners during the day flashed through his mind, and a strange irritation gradually arose in his heart.

She and Lu Jie were chatting and laughing in the pavilion, full of energy. Now, however, she lies here weakly, unconscious.

"So you admire him that much? Even when your body can't hold on, you still want to see him." He looked at her sleeping face and asked silently, his tone carrying a bitterness he himself was unaware of.

But seeing her looking distressed and frowning, the resentment he felt from jealousy turned into a helpless sigh.

He reached out and gently rubbed her burning cheek with the back of his fingers, a gesture filled with tenderness he himself was unaware of.

His thoughts raced. Zhao Zhao had caught a cold because he had come home late and had fallen asleep at the table while waiting for him…

Thinking of this, his furrowed brows relaxed slightly. He reached out and took her hands, flattening her palms and gently wiping them with a warm handkerchief. "Your illness is my fault."

Inside, the room was filled with the scent of incense and medicine, and the warm, dim light bathed the two of them, creating a scene of serene tranquility.

A faint, almost imperceptible sigh escaped the person in bed, who seemed disturbed and turned over to face inwards to continue sleeping.

Chen Junbo's frustration vanished the moment she turned over, and he chuckled in exasperation, "Did I disturb you? You're so delicate. Go to sleep."

"Let's talk about it after you wake up..."

He muttered to himself, but the second half of the sentence remained unspoken.

As night deepened, he did not leave, but quietly stayed by her bedside, occasionally changing the handkerchief on her forehead, until dawn broke.

When Li Yang woke up the next day, he felt drowsy and his body was a little sore, but he felt much better.

When the deer saw that she had woken up, it quickly went forward and handed her a handkerchief to clean her face.

"What time is it? I feel like I've slept for ages." Li Yang wiped himself a couple of times, feeling much more awake, then turned around and threw the cloth back into the basin through the bed frame.

"It's late afternoon," Little Deer said with a sly smile. "You had a fever last night, and the young master instructed that you should rest in bed today."

"Then, the carriage?" Li Yang felt something was wrong when he heard "resting in bed".

"No, not at all." Little Deer spread out his palms and shrugged.

Seeing Li Yang's face darken instantly, Xiao Lu felt she still needed to say a few words for her young master, "You suddenly developed a fever last night, which worried the young master terribly. All the servants in Lanxin Pavilion were woken up throughout the night, and Brother Bifang even drove to fetch a doctor."

As she spoke, she handed the medicinal soup to Li Yang, saying, "Young Master instructed that you should drink this medicine as soon as you wake up."

Li Yang took the medicine, his brows furrowed. Did he really have to drink the medicine?

This scene amused Xiao Lu, who exclaimed, "Young Madam is still more obedient when she's sick, taking her medicine as instructed." As she said this, she produced a piece of candy from somewhere, saying, "Young Master said you were making a fuss when taking your medicine, so he asked me to prepare some candy."

What's wrong with Xiao Lu today? All she can hear this morning is "Young Master," it's making her dizzy.

She put a piece of candy in her mouth, swallowed the medicine, and smacked her lips, still savoring the sweetness of the candy.

Unable to resist her drowsiness, she soon fell into a deep sleep again. When Xiao Lu brought the porridge into the room, she saw Li Yang lying on the bed with her head tilted to the side. She covered her with a blanket and lowered the gauze curtain.

After doing all that, she sat down by the window, tending to the orchids and poking at the incense ash, and just waited.

Having experienced the terrifying moment last night, she is determined to stay here and take good care of the young mistress, and will never leave!

At 1:15 PM, Chen Junbo hurriedly returned.

"Young Master." Little Deer stood up and greeted him when she saw him.

Chen Junbo hummed in agreement and went to look at Li Yang lying on the bed. Seeing that she was still asleep, he asked, "Has the young mistress woken up yet?"

After Xiaolu recounted the events of the morning in detail, he nodded and waved for her to leave.

After Xiao Lu closed the door, he looked around the room and felt it was stuffy and damp, so he went to the window and propped up the window frame at a small angle, and moved the screen to the window to block the wind.

After busying himself for a while, he took two steps to the bedside to check on Li Yang.

Seeing that she was still lying there, perhaps because it was too hot, she had kicked the thin blanket into a mess, her cheeks were slightly red, and her hair was slightly damp.

Chen Junbo's expression immediately turned serious. He reached out and touched her forehead, which was still a little hot. After thinking for a moment, he pulled the blanket over her again.

Why is she still running a fever? Her body is so weak, yet she still wants to run around everywhere.

Looking at her sickly appearance, Chen Junbo couldn't help but recall the first time they met. His embroidered ball somehow went astray and flew past the crowd directly into Liyang's wonton pot.

At that time, the way she stood there, wielding an iron spoon with her hands on her hips and clutching an embroidered ball in her other hand, looking furious, was truly amusing. Perhaps it was this vibrant and enchanting scene that momentarily bewitched him, leading him to instruct Bifang to go and discuss the marriage.

This little girl, all baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, barged into his life.

They've barged in, and now they're rushing out every day to find some Persian merchant? What's so great about foreigners?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek again.

"What are you doing?" The girl on the bed woke up at some point, her voice a little hoarse, and stared intently at his mischievous hands.

Chen Junbo, who had been wallowing in self-pity, was caught red-handed in his prank and was so embarrassed that he didn't react for a long time. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a "hmm" from his throat.

Um?

What kind of answer is that? Li Yang blinked and looked directly at the other person.

The candlelight reflected in her eyes, sparkling brightly. Chen Junbo reached out and helped her sit up before saying, "Zhaozhao, I have something to talk to you about."

What's wrong? Why are you so serious?

"What's wrong?"

"Zhaozhao, now our hearts are in sync." He said in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on hers like a hunter eyeing a rabbit in the forest. "Let's just call off that engagement from back then?"

So you were referring to that contract...

Wait, what about the contract?!

"Cancel it?" Li Yang shouted, his voice slightly hoarse. "You mean to cancel that contract?"

Chen Junbo's eyes deepened at the corners, and he said softly, "Hmm."

Upon hearing this, Li Yang didn't reply. She simply threw off the covers and quickly scrambled to the other side, taking a bamboo basket from the bedside table. She yanked back the red cloth, revealing not dozens of strings of copper coins, but her cherished marriage contract, and…

List of betrothal gifts.

She grabbed the document and marriage contract and hid them behind her back, shrinking further into the bed, her eyes filled with panic. She asked again, "You mean, these are all void?"

Chen Junbo: "Mm."

"Did I do something wrong?" Li Yang was so anxious he was almost crying. The long list of estates and shops on the betrothal gift list hadn't even been transferred yet. Why did he suddenly want to cancel it? Just because he got sick?

This time, Chen Junbo also noticed something was off, but he couldn't understand why Li Yang's reaction was so... strange. "What did you say?" he said, reaching out to pull her over.

Li Yang kicked the bed board and moved further inside, trying to stop him from grabbing her. "Did I do something wrong? Tell me, I'll change, okay? Why did you have to cancel the engagement?"

"What use is this marriage contract to us now?"

"Chen Junbo, how can you break your promise?" Li Yang suddenly began to accuse him. She was really angry. How could this man go back on his word? He canceled it just like that. She had finally managed to avoid her mother-in-law's framing, and the flower business was about to make a profit. What kind of trouble was he causing now?

"Zhaozhao, what's wrong? Don't you want to cancel the contract with me?"

"I don't want to!" Li Yang had already moved to the innermost part, holding the marriage certificate behind his back with both hands, pressed tightly against the wall. "Since you made the contract, you have to keep your word. I didn't steal anything, I didn't do anything improper, and the Flower Bureau is about to make a profit. You can't break the contract for no reason and cheat me out of my money."

"You think I'm trying to get rid of your money?" Chen Junbo, having spent years navigating the complexities of officialdom and business, was adept at grasping the key points. After pondering the meaning behind those words, his anger flared. "You think that when I said I wanted to cancel the engagement, it was to avoid paying your betrothal gifts?"

Chen Junbo's expression was as if he wanted to devour her whole. Li Yang had never seen such a murderous look on his face before, and she couldn't help but hesitate... Could it be... not...?