Chapter 9: The warmth of the ginseng slices he only grasped but could not obtain...
The wind is strong on the canal.
The cabin was filled with the lingering smell of medicine, mixed with the earthy smell of damp river water.
Shen Zhiwei twisted a silver needle between her fingertips and carefully lit the candle.
Judge Xu used candlelight to clean and bandage Xiao Wangqing's wound. The hardwood edge had hit him hard, and several stitches had cracked. The blood that seeped out had soaked multiple layers of cotton wool.
After bandaging the wound and leaving medical instructions, he left with the medical boy. Suddenly, only three people were left in the cabin, and the air was as stagnant as ice.
At this moment, the Third Prince was leaning on a specially made soft couch, his left leg covered with a thick medical cloth and propped up with a soft pillow. His face was even grayer than the turbid waves surging outside the cabin window, his brows were furrowed, and cold sweat was oozing from his forehead.
Shen Zhiwei sat across from him at the low table by the window, holding a bowl of warm bird's nest soup that Xie Mingxu had just forced upon her. A thin blanket covered her legs, and the warmth from the bowl reached her fingertips, yet she could still feel the dampness seeping into her bones.
Xie Mingxu himself was not much quieter. He leaned against the door, and the red mole at the corner of his eye made his smiling face look particularly vivid in the dim candlelight.
"Master Shen, enjoy this soup while it's hot," he said in a clear voice, the ending sweet enough to make Shen Zhiwei's eyebrows jump. "The wind is strong and the humidity is heavy. I've specially asked the kitchen to prepare some warm honey pomelo tea. I'll bring it to you later."
His words showed his considerate care for Shen Zhiwei, and his attitude was so intimate that it was almost a matter of course, as if she was the most precious master on the ship.
When he mentioned medicine, his eyes moved, as if he had just remembered that there was another distinguished patient in the cabin.
"Oh, Third Prince, here." Xie Mingxu turned his head and smiled gently and politely at Xiao Wangqing. "The imperial physician said that you should take good care of yourself and avoid raw, cold and greasy food. If your Highness wants anything, just tell me and I'll have someone oversee the small kitchen and prepare it. But the chefs' skills are crude and I'm afraid they can't match the fine cooking in the palace. Your Highness, please bear with me."
"...But it's truly a bad year," he shook his head, his gaze passing over Xiao Wangqing's pale face with deep regret, and then turning into a smile when he landed on Shen Zhiwei. "Fortunately, the accompanying imperial physician is experienced and prudent, and he's also ruthless in prescribing medicine. Little Master Shen, don't you agree?"
To be honest, Shen Zhiwei didn't really dislike him. He was good-looking and spoke well. At most, Zhuo Qingsu had flattered him but ended up hitting the horse's hoof, which was not a big deal.
This Xie Shizi had the words "I'm considerate and kind" written all over his face, yet he didn't seem to be annoying. Besides, seeing Xiao Wangqing's reserved aura become even more solemn after this action, it was a bit of entertainment on the boat ride.
Of course, that doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for the Third Prince's situation at all.
Shen Zhiwei was a little curious, but after thinking about it, he understood.
No matter whether it is true or not, who would hate someone who is willing to spend time and effort on themselves?
"You're joking, my Lord," Shen Zhiwei said, eyes lowered, stirring the clear soup slowly and leisurely, his voice more relaxed than usual. "Good and bad fortune have their consequences. Your Highness's injury is a blessing. It gives us a moment to breathe. We don't have to travel day and night, and this is a good opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the canal."
Xiao Wangqing's hands, which were resting on his legs, suddenly clenched the soft brocade cushion beneath him, his knuckles turning white.
His Adam's apple rolled violently, as if he wanted to say something, but the movement strained the injured area, causing him to groan, and sweat instantly covered his forehead. He clenched his teeth tightly, and only his increasingly heavy breathing echoed in the cabin.
Xie Mingxu's peach blossom eyes curved even more beautifully, as if Shen Zhiwei's words were meant specifically for him as a token of praise. He took two steps forward and sat down on the other side of the low table, his movements as natural as if he were returning to his own bedroom.
"Master Xiao Shen, what you said is very insightful! It's true that a forced melon is not sweet, and a hurried road is not comfortable. Let's just stroll along slowly, maybe we can really catch some beautiful scenery."
He took out a palm-sized gilded hand warmer from his sleeve. It was extremely exquisite, and a faint cool fragrance emanated from the hollow part of the lid.
"Here, I just warmed it with silver frost charcoal. I know you are afraid of cold, so I prepared it specially." He didn't look at Xiao Wangqing, but just pushed the hand warmer considerately to Shen Zhiwei's hand, his fingertips almost touching her cuffs.
The warmth of the hand warmer was even more soothing than the temperature of the bird's nest soup. Shen Zhiwei didn't touch it, but only looked up at Xie Mingxu. The candlelight reflected in the boy's eyes, sparkling and with a kind of innocent flattery, reminding her of the puppies chasing her for meat in the East Palace.
It is true that he is trying to please others, but it is not necessarily true that he is completely naive.
"Your Highness, thank you for your expense." She nodded slightly, expressing her gratitude. She then put down the bird's nest soup and coughed twice. The sharp wind from the river seeped in through the cracks in the window, making her feel uncomfortable.
Almost as the cough started, a slender but bloodless hand suddenly stretched out from across the low table, and in the palm of its hand lay a ginseng slice warmed by body temperature.
It’s Xiao Wangqing.
He didn't know when he took it out from his underwear, and even the oil paper wrapped around the ginseng slices showed the warmth of being repeatedly rubbed.
His eyes were fixed on Shen Zhiwei’s furrowed brows.
The bad tutor Shen continued to cough, but in his heart he was guessing that he must have held his breath at this moment.
“…”
It's like this again.
It was like clutching her jade pendant in the cold palace, like being burned to a crisp in the Imperial Hospital, refusing to let go, just asking for the slightest response. He said nothing, but crawled over despite his injuries, handing over this hot little thing that brought back some memories.
The words of rejection rolled between her lips and teeth. Shen Zhiwei looked into his eyes and couldn't think of the words to refuse, not to mention that she really needed it.
"Thank you, Third Prince." She smiled, reached out her hand, picked it up with two fingers and put it in her mouth.
The tenderness of the ginseng slices, wrapped in bitterness, spread across the tip of his tongue. Shen Zhiwei raised his eyes. Xiao Wangqing's outstretched hand had not yet been retracted, hovering in the light and shadow between the two of them, with his fingertips slightly curled.
Shen Zhiwei avoided the gaze that seemed to burn him, picked up the bird's nest and drank it slowly. The thin piece of ginseng under the root of his tongue just suppressed the suffocation rising from his heart, but it also caused a dull pain deep under his ribs.
Xie Mingxu used his fingertips to twist off a sticky strand of orange peel, broke the orange flesh in half, and handed it to the small plate next to her: "The flesh is sweet, squeeze it." His voice was not loud, but it was very clear in the room where you could hear a pin drop.
"...It's more than a blessing." After a long silence, Xiao Wangqing's hoarse voice sounded. He hadn't spoken for too long, and he coughed a few times before his tone returned to normal.
"It was Master Shen who pulled me out of that deadly path. This leg, this injury," his Adam's apple rolled, his teeth slightly gnashing, "I am thankful that I am able to drag it alive."
His gaze passed through the mist of medicinal gas and stopped at Shen Zhiwei's pale profile. The candlelight cast a bright light in the depths of his pupils.
"You picked up this life, so you can naturally see whether it is a blessing or a curse. If Master Shen finds it an eyesore...it's just a matter of leaning over when the boat is in the middle of the river."
As soon as the words fell, a dead silence fell. Even Xie Mingxu's fingers, peeling the orange, paused. The charming smile on his brow froze. His eyes flickered between Xiao Wangqing's pale face and Shen Zhiwei's stiff profile, and he tactfully shut his mouth.
Shen Zhiwei turned back and unconsciously scratched the hardwood side of the chair with her fingertips, leaving a barely perceptible shallow mark.
Her gaze finally fell completely on Xiao Wangqing's face, and she raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she was looking at something incomprehensible.
The young face was as pale as paper due to blood loss, and there was a coldness between his eyebrows, as if it had been cut by a knife or an axe. There was no anger, no resentment, only an overwhelming sense of desolation and misery, which made the suppressed curve of his lips reveal a terrifying deathly aura.
Shen Zhiwei laughed in anger, and a fishy and sweet taste rose in her throat, which she swallowed forcefully.
Of course she could tell that Xiao Wangqing was not joking.
He actually dared to push the blood and heavy weight of the disease in front of her as if it was a matter of course, and put this so-called "life" on her already overwhelmed heart.
"Thank you, Prince. It's getting late."
Shen Zhiwei began to roll up his sleeves.
"Could you please go and see if dinner is ready? The Third Prince is seriously injured and needs some warm food that's easy to digest." She paused for a moment, her voice lowered to a whisper, her intention to send him off was obvious. "I'll be in charge of this place for the time being."
Look after? Look after Jiang Li?
Of course Xie Mingxu didn't dare to ask. He was not a fool and knew very well that the consequences of forcing himself to stay at this moment would definitely not be what he wanted to see.
“…Okay, of course. Master Shen is right. I’ll go urge the kitchen and ask them to be more careful.” He quickly stood up and pulled the bolt of the door with swift steps, temporarily isolating himself from the oppressive smell of medicine and blood.
The muffled sound of the wooden door being hastily closed by Xie Mingxu became the only remaining sound in the cabin, blocking out the sound of the river waves outside, but it could not block out the suffocating smell of medicine and blood.
Shen Zhiwei slowly stood up, removing the heavy fox fur coat and letting it fall silently onto the back of the chair. The light cast a swaying shadow on her shoulders. She seemed to have lost some weight since last time.
Xiao Wangqing was thinking at an inappropriate time, his back was as tense as a fully drawn bow, and his knuckles on the quilt were white from the force.
The next moment, a figure, carrying the damp, fishy odor of the cabin, completely enveloped him. A cold hand, with irresistible force, suddenly grasped his jaw. The force was so great that his head slammed heavily against the bulkhead behind him, making a dull thud that made the window frames buzz.
Xiao Wangqing's eyes went dark, and the severe pain made him groan. He struggled instinctively, and a trapped beast's hissing breath came out of his throat, and his hot breath sprayed on Shen Zhiwei's wrist which was so close to him.
His pupils suddenly contracted, reflecting the face of the man leaning over and approaching. A thin layer of frost formed on Shen Zhiwei's handsome brows, but there was a heavy fire in his eyes, which made the blood in his body seem to stagnate and freeze.
"Lean forward?" Her voice was extremely low, with a strange upturned ending, cold and sharp. "Your Highness, are you teaching me how to do things? Or... are you using this body to set me up for a miserable trap?"
The severe pain made Xiao Wangqing clench his teeth subconsciously, but his resistance gradually collapsed under the gaze of those eyes.
His body shivered uncontrollably, but his struggles came to a halt. The desolation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a layer of hopeless dull pain.
Shen Zhiwei's grip didn't loosen at all, instead pressing down even harder, her nails almost digging into his pale flesh. The burning, fishy-sweet feeling pressing against her heart could no longer be suppressed, suddenly surging up her throat, choking her and causing her to double over and cough violently.
His body lost its strength to support it, and the hand that was strangling Xiao Wangqing's jaw was forced to loosen, and he hurriedly covered his mouth with his backhand.
The snow-white silk was pressed against the lips, and instantly a glaring crimson color spread out. The smell of blood instantly covered all the foul air in the cabin, and it was so strong that it was nauseating.
Xiao Wangqing's pupils suddenly shrank, and he subconsciously struggled to sit up: "You...!"
"...Shut up!" A suppressed rebuke, a warning, emanated from between her fingers. Shen Zhiwei steadied herself by knocking one knee against the footboard beside the couch, her other hand bracing against the edge of the low table, her knuckles straining until veins popped. She whipped her head around, glaring at him fiercely with bloodshot eyes.
Xiao Wangqing's hand dropped down halfway, and he watched her coughing heartbreakingly. Her pale lips were stained red with her own blood. The bright color burned his eyes, and his internal organs seemed to be gripped and stirred by invisible hands. The overwhelming guilt and panic almost drowned him.
The resolute and deadly aura he had just had disappeared without a trace. Like a bewildered sinner, he could only remain silent as she commanded and instinctively hold his breath.
The violent coughing seemed to have exhausted her last bit of strength.
When the coughing and wheezing subsided a little, she straightened up, panting, with cold sweat on her forehead. Without even looking at the face full of shock, pain and regret, she took out the medicine bottle given by Xu Shu from her sleeve pocket, poured out two pills and swallowed them with water.
After a few breaths, the deadly burning sensation in the chest was forcibly suppressed, leaving behind suffocating weakness and deeper irritability.
Shen Zhiwei casually wiped her lips with the blood-stained handkerchief, and her eyes fell back on Xiao Wangqing's face. She swept her eyes across a filthy decoration, and finally stopped at his left leg that was raised high.
She leaned over without saying a word, placed her cold fingertips directly on the dark stain that was slightly seeping out of the edge of the medicine patch, and pressed gently.
"Mmm..." A suppressed groan of pain escaped Xiao Wangqing's throat. His body trembled violently, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead again. He didn't dare to look her in the eye again. He just bit the inside of his lower lip tightly, tasting like rust, and his thick eyelashes drooped.
There was no longer any provocation or sharpness in that posture.
Shen Zhiwei twisted the edge of the medicine patch with his fingertips and saw dark red and yellow pus and blood slowly oozing out from the sutured tear in the wound.
She stood up and retrieved the new patch, ointment, and silver scissors Xu Shu had prepared from under the low table. Not very gently, she cut through the soaked old cloth. The fabric, stuck to the wound, peeled away with a sticky, tooth-grinding sound.
Xiao Wangqing's body was as tense as a rock. Every slight pull brought him excruciating pain. Cold sweat soaked his underwear, sticking to his back with a sticky and cold feeling.
He could clearly feel the immense pressure from the slender figure bending over to change his dressing. His gaze fell coldly on his bloody injured leg, examining the horrific sight of pus and blood surging.
He lowered his eyes, not daring to meet her gaze. He only felt the breath from Shen Zhiwei's movements brushing against his naked skin. It was clearly weak and bitter, but it was like charcoal fire rolling over.
"Hold it."
Two dry words came down without any preparation.
Then, he rubbed the festering wound vigorously with a cloth soaked in strong medicine.
"Ugh..." The excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed Xiao Wangqing's resolve. He dropped his head abruptly, his larynx protruding as if struck by an impact. A stifled scream escaped from between his teeth, his entire body arching like a dying shrimp. His vision went black as pain radiated from his injured leg, shooting up his spine and into his skull.
As his consciousness was churning and blurring, something cold forcefully pried open his tightly clenched teeth.
The strong and bitter smell of ginseng filled the entire mouth domineeringly. Half a piece of old ginseng was forced in, pressing roughly against the root of the tongue. The spicy and sweet aroma of grass mixed with the smell of blood spread.
It was Shen Zhiwei’s aura.
It was that night in the cold palace...the only warmth he could hold on to but could never get.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Shen Zhiwei has always been soft-hearted and not hard-hearted. He hates being threatened the most in his life. He can neither be a loyal minister nor a villain.
After half a lifetime of planning, he finally died playing chess
In fact, I am terribly afraid of death.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
