24 Chapter Twenty-Four
"Consummating the marriage is sufficient."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Liu Qingqing hurriedly let go of her hand, flustered and stammering, "I'm so sorry, I don't know how... Last night I was afraid you had a fever, I clearly hooked your finger, how... how did it..."
Just as Liu Qingqing was about to get down and escape, Xie Lang stopped her in her tracks with a single sentence.
His voice was dry and hoarse, no longer as gentle as before. "Madam really is fond of playing with it."
He sighed regretfully, "It won't work today. I'm sorry, Madam. I'll have to trouble you to wait a few more days."
Liu Qingqing let go of his hand and carefully pulled the brocade quilt over him.
After his initial embarrassment, he finally realized he had woken up.
Her eyes gradually reddened as she stared at him, tears welling up and falling in large drops. The usually shy girl glared at him fiercely, stubbornly refusing to look away.
Xie Lang's gaze softened, and his voice deepened as he comforted her, "It's alright, don't cry. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine."
In her haste, Liu Qingqing revealed her true colors. Though her eyes were still red, she resembled a kitten with its fur standing on end, fierce yet endearing.
Covered in injuries and unable to move, he almost lost his life, and this is what you call "well"? How is he well?
Liu Qingqing was furious. She glared at him fiercely and hurriedly got out of bed to call for help. Because she dared not move at night, her legs were numb and she staggered, almost falling. Liu Qingqing blushed and did not turn around.
He walked to the door, opened it a crack, and whispered, "Xie Liu, the master has woken up. Quickly go and fetch the divine physician."
After saying that, he carefully closed the door again, as if afraid that even a wisp of wind might get in.
He turned around and poured a bowl of warm water from the octagonal table. Now that Xie Lang was awake, he should drink more water. The doctor said that drinking more water could help to expel toxins from the body quickly.
She would carefully bring the porcelain bowl to his lips and only breathe a sigh of relief when he drank it all.
She then skillfully examined his forehead and the soft mattress beneath him, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everything was alright. She then turned around and sat on the edge of the bed with her back to him.
She dared not turn around, fearing that he would wake up to find it was all a dream.
When he returned covered in wounds, she felt like a tree trembling in a storm.
Thinking about it this way, I couldn't stop the stinging in my nose, and tears welled up in my eyes again.
She was worried about him, worried about herself, and blamed herself for still thinking of her at this critical moment in his life. Was she really as heartless and ungrateful as Liu Xu and Xiao Yingshi said?
An arm wrapped around her slender waist. "You've gotten so thin."
She heard him say in a low voice, "I also need to thank Madam for preparing these snacks for me this time, otherwise I wouldn't have made it back to the manor."
Xie Lang said these words to thank Liu Qingqing, but they struck a nerve with her, and she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, finally bursting into sobs.
"Madam...this..."
Xie Lang hadn't expected that his first attempt at comforting someone would make her cry. He quickly put his arm around her, but she wouldn't move. As she struggled to get up, Liu Qingqing noticed and immediately turned around. "You're covered in wounds, how can you move around? You'll reopen the cuts!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Liu Qingqing wiped her eyes, quickly opened the door, and followed the divine doctor.
The doctor was quick and efficient, and after only a moment he said, "You are much better now, sir. Congratulations on getting through this ordeal. However, you will need to rest for a while to recover from this external injury."
Xie Lang could not get up, so he could only clasp his hands in a gesture of respect and say, "Your medical skills are truly remarkable."
The divine physician's smile faltered slightly as he seized the opportunity to attribute the credit to Liu Qingqing. "It wasn't me, Lord Xie. You should thank Madam Xie more this time, after all, even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice."
Xie Lang looked at the woman who turned away and refused to look at him.
The renowned doctor said, "I didn't have time to check your pulse last time I came. Why don't I examine you today?"
Before Liu Qingqing could reply, Xie Lang said, "That's wonderful! Thank you."
Liu Qingqing remembered that Old Master Lu had told her to take her husband with her to get her pulse checked again. She had been thinking about this matter. Could it be that she was feeling unwell but couldn't say it directly, which was why she wanted her husband to go?
Therefore, she cooperated with the divine doctor's pulse diagnosis.
The last guess was probably about 70-80% correct. When the divine physician took Liu Qingqing's pulse, he was extremely focused. However, upon closer examination, his expression changed. He subconsciously looked at Lord Xie and saw that Lord Xie's eyes were deep and seemed to hold a profound meaning.
The two locked eyes for only a moment. Liu Qingqing didn't notice that the divine physician only said, "Madam is deficient in both qi and blood, and her spleen and stomach are also out of balance. She needs to be nourished. I will write two prescriptions for you now. Please take them to my apprentice who is guarding the door and let him know. I will then give Lord Xie a careful examination of his external injuries."
After Liu Qingqing left, the divine physician immediately looked at Xie Lang with a serious expression.
"Madam Xie was once poisoned by an evil drug..."
Xie Lang nodded.
The renowned doctor hissed and cursed, "Who would be so despicable as to prescribe this medicine to a virgin!"
"This medicine is extremely potent. Some methods can alleviate it to some extent, but they only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. It will come back to haunt you many times over in the future, so it's better to guide than to block. But after guiding, you need to use medicine to assist it. The frequency of intercourse must be strictly limited. In this way, it can be cured in a few months."
Since Xie Lang secretly consulted a doctor to examine Liu Qingqing last time, he had been secretly searching for medicine. There was one ingredient he couldn't find, but unexpectedly, he found it. His expression relaxed. "Then I'll trouble you with preparing the medicine."
The physician waved his hand: "You're too kind, Lord Xie. I'll hurry back to my residence to prepare the medicine. Some of the medicines need to be processed in advance."
Just then, Liu Qingqing returned.
She was worried about Xie Lang, so she went and returned quickly. When she got back to her room, she noticed that the atmosphere was strange. But when she looked closely, she saw that both of them had smiles on their faces and there was nothing unusual about them.
Perhaps I misread it.
When the divine physician saw Liu Qingqing return, he prepared to take his leave, but before leaving, he couldn't help but remind Xie Lang, "The sooner the master recovers, the better. This matter cannot be delayed."
After saying this, he bowed to Liu Qingqing and then left.
Liu Qingqing escorted the divine physician to the archway, and after returning to the room and examining Xie Lang's wounds, she asked him, "What did the divine physician say couldn't be delayed?"
Xie Lang's expression remained unchanged: "The divine doctor said that my youthful vigor might hinder the healing of my injuries."
This was the first time Liu Qingqing had heard such a statement. She vaguely sensed something was wrong, but she didn't have time to think about it carefully and asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
Xie Lang: "Consummating the marriage is sufficient."
Liu Qingqing blushed deeply: "..."
She glared at him, said nothing more, and turned to go out to urge him to take the medicine.
After leaving the house, she hid where he couldn't see her and quietly covered her burning cheeks.
Xie Lang whistled from inside the main room, and a moment later Xie Liu quietly entered.
Xie Lang: "The divine physician just said that I didn't die because of you, madam. What does that mean?"
Although Xie Liu did not appear that day, he saw everything clearly and reported the whole story in detail.
"That day, after the divine doctor said that you might not survive the night, the lady invited the divine doctor aside and took out a worn-out purse from her bosom. Inside was a brown pill. The divine doctor was overjoyed upon hearing this, saying that just half a pill could save a life. He then instructed the lady to keep it safe and not let outsiders know about it."
Xie Lang squinted: "A brown pill?"
Xie Liu nodded hurriedly: "From a distance, it looks exactly like the pill that the Regent gave you."
Xie Lang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly composed himself and waved for the others to leave.
He paused suddenly and said, "Have Xie Wu come over when he's done with his work."
The pill that the regent gave him looked very similar to the one in his wife's hand.
When the Regent gave Xie Lang the medicine, he said it could save lives in critical moments, just like the pills his wife received. Xie Lang already had an idea; this might be some kind of medicine.
It is quite intriguing that the lady possessed the same medicine as the Regent.
Xie Lang had an excellent memory, and naturally recalled the box of pastries that the Regent's Consort had given him. A bold guess formed in his mind, yet he felt a chill run down his spine.
Before Liu Qingqing returned, he had already suppressed all his emotions. He was usually not easily seen to be happy or sad, and now he was even less so.
Now that Xie Lang has awakened and the great calamity has passed, the next step is to recuperate.
Since Xie Lang had secretly left the capital and returned to the mansion, Liu Qingqing was instructed to suppress the matter. The servants who knew about the matter also had Xie Wu temporarily moved to a side courtyard, and Xie Wu even found a pretext—that the rainy season was approaching and the roof needed repairs.
However, Xie Lang deliberately left a loose end for the Governor-General of Huguang, probably thinking that his silence for several days meant he was likely in trouble. He planned to use Wei Mingzhao as the prey to catch him in the act.
These past years have been filled with busy work, leaving little time for rest.
Now that he's back from the brink of death, this is the time he has the most free time. But Liu Qingqing is very strict with him. Seeing that his injuries are still shocking, she won't let him get out of bed no matter what she says.
She did get busy, coming and going in a rather lively manner, quite different from usual, which Xie Lang found amusing.
Liu Qingqing couldn't care less about what Xie Lang was thinking at the moment. Since Xie Lang had returned to the manor in secret, the matter of Jialan Garden could only remain unresolved within Jialan Garden.
Even if she tried to hide it, with doctors coming and medicine being prepared, anyone with a discerning eye would eventually notice something amiss, and she certainly couldn't hide it from the old lady's sharp eyes. So Liu Qingqing went all out, asking the renowned physician for some cough-inducing herbs before informing the old lady that she had been feeling unwell recently and would not go to pay her respects, lest the old lady also fall ill.
Liu Qingqing was meticulous; after having this idea, she drank a bowl of water infused with medicine every morning after waking up. Every living thing that passed by the entrance to Jialan Garden, even the mice on the ground and the birds in the sky, knew that the mistress of the house was unwell.
The afternoon Xie Lang woke up, she went to the old lady's courtyard. She covered her face with a veil and stood outside the archway without going in. As soon as she stopped, she couldn't stop coughing.
Upon hearing the sound, Granny An, who was standing beside the old lady, hurriedly came out. Seeing that it was the young mistress, she was about to invite her in when Liu Qingqing waved her hand repeatedly, saying, "I just wanted to pay my respects to the old lady. How has the old lady been these past few days?"
Granny An: "The old lady didn't sleep well last night. She just took some calming soup and fell asleep. Apart from that, she's fine."
Liu Qingqing observed carefully and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Granny An's complexion was normal. "That's good. I've probably caught a cold. I won't be coming to see the old lady for the next few days while I'm taking medicine. It wouldn't be good if Grandmother got sick."
Granny An: "The old lady happens to have some throat syrup. This old servant will go and get it for you right away."
Before Liu Qingqing could refuse, Granny An hurried back and soon came out with a porcelain jar, handing it to Liu Qingqing with a smile, "Young Madam, please take good care of yourself. The Old Madam is here with me, so there's no need to worry."
Liu Qingqing thanked Granny An, but with Xie Lang on her mind, she turned and left.
Only after Liu Qingqing was out of sight did Granny An return to her room.
The old lady sat upright, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures while fiddling with her prayer beads. Seeing Granny An return, she looked over and asked, "How is it?"
Granny An was overjoyed: "Judging from the young mistress's complexion, the young master is probably alright. I knew our Marquis's heir was blessed with good fortune and a long life."
Although the old lady still kept her eyes down, she leaned back on the cushion. Seeing this, Granny An quickly went to help her lie down, saying, "You've been chanting scriptures these past few days and haven't had a good night's sleep. Now that you're at peace, please rest."
The old lady was exhausted after several days of hard work. She lay down and closed her eyes, but after a while she suddenly opened them and said, "My daughter-in-law's choice of a granddaughter-in-law is indeed excellent. Although she is a little inexperienced, she has been able to take on responsibilities."
Granny An knew that the old lady had finally relaxed. She had barely eaten or slept since the news of Lang Ge's bad condition came a couple of days ago. So she coaxed the old lady, saying, "Of course. If you can give her some guidance in the future, the young mistress will be able to rival Zhuge Liang."
The old lady gave her a reproachful look upon hearing this: "You always know how to tease me."
He added, "You've been working hard with me these past few days, you must be tired. Go get some sleep."
Granny An smiled and agreed, then teased her, "Oh! Miss Xie is so considerate."
The old lady touched her wrinkled face, smiled and shook her head, not taking the bait, but instead asked, "How is Second Master doing these days?"
Since the birth of the second master, after they moved to the branch hospital, although their relationship was not very close, the old lady would always inquire about Xie Pan.
Granny An: "The Second Master is the same as always, nothing different, except that he seems to want to dig a cellar in the courtyard."
The old lady asked in confusion, "Dig a cellar? Do you mean to add a small kitchen in the yard or dig a cellar? Have someone find out."
Why would they suddenly want to dig a cellar when they were living comfortably?
Meanwhile, Liu Qingqing hurriedly returned to Jialan Garden, and only breathed a sigh of relief after scanning the courtyard and finding nothing amiss.
Now that Xie Lang has just recovered from a serious illness, he is afraid of the wind entering his body, so even in early summer, the doors and windows of the main room have not been opened.
After entering the room, she first went to the washroom to change into a clean set of clothes, and then washed her hands before going around the screen to the bedside.
Now she has also had a screen placed in front of her bed.
Xie Lang had already woken up alertly when she pushed the door open, but for some reason, he didn't open his eyes. Sensing her getting closer, his heart began to race for some reason.
Liu Qingqing sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze sweeping over his face before she lifted the thin blanket up to his waist.
It's called a thin quilt, but it's just a few layers of high-quality cotton cloth.
She asked the miracle doctor, who said that this is the best way for the wound to heal, and if it gets wet, it's easy to change it and won't keep the wound covered.
Before it got dark, she lowered her head and carefully examined the healing of the knife wounds on his body.
She remembered the doctor's advice to regularly check the tightness of the muscles around the incision.
Afraid of not being able to see clearly, he simply knelt on the footstool, so that by bending over slightly he was very close to the injury, close enough that every breath he exhaled could brush against the hair on his body.
She rubbed her hands together to warm them, and then began to gently press his still-intact body from top to bottom with her fingertips.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
Oh no, they didn't escape.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
