Chapter 24
After many days, the old lady finally opened her eyes again. Liu Yuanwai was stunned at first, as if he had been cast a spell. The chicken leg in his hand fell onto the plate with a "plop". Then, the flesh on his face was squeezed into a ball. He didn't even bother to wipe the oil off his hands and stumbled to the bedside: "Mom!"
He held the old lady's skinny hand tightly and shook it continuously: "Mom! You are finally awake! How do you feel?"
The old lady blinked, her cloudy eyes stayed on his face for a moment, and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The joy on Mr. Liu's face faded instantly. He turned his head and glared at Shen Aheng, his tone anxious and angry: "How did you cure this disease? Why can't my mother speak yet! If you make my mother worse, I won't forgive you!"
Chen Aheng hurriedly explained, "Master, please be patient. The old lady's illness is 'food accumulation turns into fire, phlegm and heat obscure the orifices'. To put it bluntly, it is because she usually eats too much rich and nourishing food, and the spleen and stomach cannot digest it, so it accumulates in the stomach and turns into 'fire' and 'phlegm'. These things block the qi and blood, and then go up to obscure the heart and orifices, which is why people have been in a coma."
"My acupuncture today is to clear the old lady's blocked qi and blood, allowing her to wake up first. But to cure it completely, I have to slowly use herbal medicine to clear out the 'heat' and 'phlegm', and then regulate the spleen and stomach. Only then can she slowly recover her ability to speak and move. There's no rush."
Master Ma was listening nearby and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Master, what this young lady said makes sense! The old lady has been in a coma for so long, it's already a great joy for her to wake up. Why don't we arrange for these two to stay at your house first so they can slowly take care of her? What do you think?"
Mr. Liu was stunned for a moment, then he realized that he had indeed been too impatient. He cleared his throat, straightened his somewhat disheveled official uniform, and then waved his hand and said to Mr. Ma, "Well, I'll do as you say. Make good arrangements for their accommodations. Be sure to be thorough!"
Master Ma quickly agreed and went back to make the arrangements.
Soon, two maids came in, stepped forward respectfully, and gestured "please" to them.
Shen Aheng took Ashina Yu's wrist and followed the two maids through several winding corridors to a secluded courtyard.
There are several osmanthus trees planted in the yard. Although it is not yet the flowering season, they are lush and green, which makes people feel relaxed and happy when looking at them.
There are two adjacent rooms in the yard, with doors and windows painted brightly, and the window paper is covered with exquisite patterns.
"This is the room prepared for you two."
Master Ma had already been waiting in the corridor. His face had lost all its previous arrogance, replaced by a broad smile. He bowed and lowered his hands, appearing extremely respectful. "The one on the left is for you, young lady, and the one on the right is for this young master. Are you satisfied with it?"
Shen Ah Heng couldn't wait to stick her head in, her eyes lit up instantly. The furnishings inside were better than she had imagined. The cushioned step-out bed, dressing table, eight-immortal table, and even the charcoal basin in the corner were new.
She couldn't help but gasp in amazement. She had never lived in such a nice place in her life. She couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Not bad, thank you Master Ma, thank you for your trouble!"
Master Ma waved his hands quickly, a smile on his face: "No, no, as long as the young lady is satisfied, this is all within my job, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. If you need anything, just tell the servants in the courtyard at any time."
Ashina Yu's gaze paused slightly when he saw the two separate doors clearly. It was as if a small stone was thrown silently into his eyes that were always calm. His slender pale fingers curled up slightly under his sleeves almost imperceptibly.
Shen Aheng was so busy being happy that he didn't notice his subtle emotions at all. He thought to himself that after being displaced for so long, he could finally sleep peacefully tonight.
Master Ma looked at her, rubbed his hands, and said with that considerate smile on his face, "Young lady, this young master, you should rest for a while and get familiar with the environment. Dinner will be here soon. If you need anything else, you can always send someone to find me in the front yard. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."
"Okay, thank you Master Ma." Shen Ah Heng smiled and nodded in agreement.
Master Ma bowed again before turning around and leaving the yard.
After Master Ma left, Shen Aheng turned to look at Ashina Yu who had been standing quietly beside her.
The afterglow of the setting sun just passed through the laurel leaves in the yard, casting mottled light and shadows on his face. He lowered his eyes slightly, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyelids, looking a little too quiet.
"You've been tired all day, go back to your room and rest."
Shen Aheng patted his shoulder and said in a cheerful tone: "I'll call you when the meal is here. I'll apply medicine to you after you finish eating. You have to have a good rest tonight. You have to get up early tomorrow to see the old lady for a follow-up visit."
Ashina Yu stood where he was, without moving immediately. He lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyelids, and no emotion could be heard.
"Okay." After a long while, he said softly.
Shen Ah Heng just thought he had heard it, smiled and waved his hand, and said: "Then you go in quickly, I also want to go in and see how comfortable this room is."
After saying that, Shen Ah Heng couldn't wait to turn around and open the door of his room.
She didn't notice at all that Ashina Yu was still standing there, and the hand hanging by her side quietly shrank, with a faint white on its fingertips.
As soon as Shen Ah Heng opened the door of his room, his attention was drawn to the thickly cushioned bed in the inner room.
Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but cheer and rushed over. The soft quilt with the smell of sun-dried clothes wrapped her completely.
“Wow——” Shen Ah Heng rolled around on the bed twice, and buried his face in the fragrant pillow. He couldn’t believe that he could live in such a good place.
This should be the peak of her life!
I was tossing and turning in the comfort of the big bed when I suddenly heard a few knocks on the door.
Shen Ah Heng sat up with a start and asked loudly: "Who is it?"
A gentle voice of a maid came from outside the door: "Miss, I am here to bring dinner to you and the young master."
“Here it comes!”
Shen Ah Heng breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly tidied up his hair and clothes that had just been messed up by himself, trying to make himself look less "letting go", and then ran to open the door in his slippers.
The door opened, and the little maid came in with a food box. She lifted the lid and saw a rich combination of meat and vegetables inside, including shiny braised fish, green stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of steaming chicken soup, and several exquisite dishes.
The fragrance instantly filled the entire room.
Shen Aheng's eyes were wide open, and he quickly thanked her: "Thank you very much, this is too rich!"
The little maid knelt and saluted, and replied softly, "Miss, you are too polite. This is a gift from the master."
Shen Aheng thought of Ashina Yu again and asked hurriedly: "By the way, has the meal for the young master next door been delivered?"
The little maid nodded and said, "Return the drum bag. Someone has already been sent to deliver it."
This time, Shen Ah Heng nodded with confidence, asked her to put the food box on the table, said a few more polite words, and let her leave.
After everyone left, Shen Ah Heng picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of braised fish and put it into his mouth. The fish was tender and tasty, and the rich sauce melted on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't help but brighten his eyes. The cooking skills of this foreigner's family are too good!
With no one around, Shen Ah Heng lost his reserve and ate heartily, enjoying himself to the fullest.
But as I was eating, the food in front of me suddenly lost its flavor, and I felt inexplicably empty inside.
Usually, whether she was eating steamed bread or wild vegetables, Ashina Yu would sit quietly opposite her, occasionally looking up at her. Although she rarely spoke, the atmosphere was always lively.
Shen Ah Heng was half a beat slow in picking up the dishes. For a moment, he wanted to take all the dishes to the next room to eat with him, but then he thought, it was just a meal, why bother to bring them back and forth? So he shook his head and got rid of that inexplicable emotion.
After finishing the meal, she had to hurry to apply medicine to Ashina Yu.
Thinking of this, his appetite returned, and Shen Aheng immersed himself in the table full of delicacies again, deciding to make a quick decision.
After stuffing the last bite of the snack into his mouth and wiping it with a handkerchief, he saw a young servant in a coarse cloth shorts peeking out of the courtyard gate.
"Hey, come here." Shen Ah Heng waved at him. When he ran closer, he picked up a pen and paper from the table, quickly wrote down the names of several medicinal herbs and wound ointments, and handed it to him: "Take this and help me get the medicine. The sooner the better."
The servant had probably received instructions from Master Ma before, so he agreed immediately without asking any questions: "Don't worry, young lady, I'll do it right away!" After saying that, he disappeared in a flash.
After a while, the servant came back with a medicine box. Shen Aheng took the medicine box in his arms and walked towards Ashina Yu's room.
As soon as he opened the door of Ashina Yu's room, Shen Aheng was about to call him when he was stunned.
Ashina Yu was sitting at the table with her back to him. Her body looked as thin as a leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any time under her light gray robe.
The table in front of him was filled with steaming delicious dishes, just like hers, but the bowl and chopsticks in front of him were untouched, obviously he hadn't eaten a single bite.
"Ashina Yu, why don't you eat?"
Shen Ah Heng walked forward, put the medicine box on the stool beside him, and said with a hint of surprise: “This dish is almost cold, let’s eat it while it’s hot.”
Ashina Yu then turned around.
The setting sun shone in from the window, just illuminating his clear and cold face. His eyebrows and features were picturesque, and he was as delicate as someone who had walked out of a painting. However, his face was a little pale, which made his eyes look even deeper.
His gaze fell on her face, and it was as if a small stone was thrown into those eyes that were always calm, and a trace of complex and indistinguishable emotions quickly passed through them.
There was surprise, unexpectedness, and a hint of... barely perceptible grievance.
Like an abandoned little animal, it finally waited for his light.
He opened his mouth, his voice was very soft, with a barely perceptible hoarseness: "Why...are you here?"
Seeing him like this, Shen Ah Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked over, put down the medicine box, and reached out to touch his forehead and cheek.
"Ashina Yu, what's wrong with you? Your face is so pale. Are you feeling unwell?" Shen Aheng's hand was placed on his forehead. It felt slightly cool, but the temperature was quite normal.
Ashina Yu was slightly stiffened by her sudden action, then shook his head gently. His beautiful eyes looked at her steadily, like a bird that finally found water in the desert, and the surging emotions in his heart gradually subsided.
He looked at her, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, revealing a very faint smile, like a wisp of wind, instantly dispelling the aloof and indifferent aura from him, making him feel lively again.
"No." He said softly, his voice clear and with a hint of barely perceptible warmth: "I, I'm fine."
Seeing that he really didn't look sick, Shen Ah Heng's heart finally relaxed. He reached out and patted his shoulder, smiling and said, "I'm glad you're okay. Then you should eat first. I'll change your dressing after dinner. You haven't changed your dressing since this morning. Don't delay."
Ashina Yu nodded meekly, picked up the chopsticks and began to eat quietly.
Shen Aheng turned and walked to the side, opened the medicine box, and began to organize the ointment, gauze and clean cloth strips that would be used later, preparing to change his dressing.
As Shen Aheng neatly sorted the things in the medicine box, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart that this Liu Yuanwai's house was different. The medicine storehouse had all kinds of medicinal materials. In the past, she and Ashina Yu often had to cross mountains and rivers and spend a lot of time to find a rare medicinal material. Unexpectedly, here, she casually wrote the house, and they had it all in a short time.
When Shen Aheng arranged the ointment, gauze and clean cloth strips one by one, he turned around and saw that Ashina Yu had actually put down his chopsticks.
Although the food on the table was not finished, a lot of it was eaten.
Shen Aheng walked over in surprise: “You eat so fast?”
When Ashina Yu was asked this, her ears turned slightly red and her eyes were a little evasive, as if she had done something embarrassing. She whispered, "No... I'm not hungry."
Looking at his somewhat embarrassed look, Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but smile and waved to him: "Okay, come here, I'll change the medicine for you."
Ashina Yu stood up obediently and walked to the stool in front of her and sat down.
Shen Aheng pointed at his shoulder again and said, "Take off your clothes."
Ashina Yu did not hesitate at all, but quietly took off his outer shirt and inner shirt, revealing his thin but upright upper body.
In the dim light, the boy's skin was pale from not seeing the sun for years, with a luster like cold jade. He had a long neck and a delicate and sensitive Adam's apple that rolled gently with every breath he took. His arms were slender and his chest was flat, without any excess muscle. Faint blue veins were faintly visible under his fair skin.
With a cool and fragile beauty.
Shen Ah Heng had only taken a quick glance, and his cheeks burned instantly as if they had been burned by a candle flame.
She coughed unnaturally, looked away in panic, her heart beating rapidly.
Just then, her eyes fell on his left shoulder.
The poisonous marks that had originally spread to the heart also faded to the shoulder blades without anyone noticing.
However, the palm print on the chest was still quite obvious, with a slight redness and swelling around the edges.
Shen Aheng's heart seemed to be pulled by something, and all his shyness disappeared in an instant. He sighed softly, picked up the cotton cloth beside him, dipped it in warm water, and carefully wiped the skin around his wound.
“If it hurts, just say it out, don’t bear it.” Shen Aheng said softly.
Ashina Yu didn't say anything, but just pursed her lips slightly, and her body tensed up almost imperceptibly due to the wiping of the cloth.
He lowered his eyes slightly, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, covering the emotions in his eyes.
Shen Aheng's movements were very gentle, trying not to touch his wound. After cleaning the area around the wound, he picked up a little cool ointment and gently applied it to the wound with a cotton swab.
Ashina Yu's gaze fell on her focused face, his eyes were very soft, like a clear lake, in which her shadow was clearly reflected.
As Shen Ah Heng wrapped the gauze around him, he couldn't help but remind him: "Don't let the wound touch water, don't do anything too forceful, and be careful when you sleep at night, don't press on the wound, understand?"
Ashina Yu did not respond as usual, but just sat there quietly with his eyes lowered. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cold jade-like face, and the atmosphere around him became a little quiet.
Shen Ah Heng wrapped the gauze and tied a beautiful knot in an especially good mood, then clapped his hands in satisfaction: "It's done."
The night had gradually fallen, and only the faint sound of the night watchman's drum could be heard in the distance.
"It's getting late. You should go to bed early. I'm going back to sleep too."
Shen Ah Heng packed up his things, picked up his small medicine box, turned around and prepared to go out.
Just as her hand touched the door frame, a slightly cold hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The force was very light, with a barely perceptible tremor, as if he had used up all his strength.
Shen Aheng turned around in surprise, only to see Ashina Yu still lowering her head, her beautiful thin lips slightly pursed.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head. His eyes, which were usually gentle, were now filled with surging emotions, including grievance, dependence, and a subtle uneasiness.
He looked at her, speaking the Central Plains dialect haltingly, his voice as light as a breeze, yet extremely clear.
"...No, don't go, okay?"
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