Chapter 238 Recognition
Shen Qingci instantly realized what was going on!
So, the old apothecary did indeed spend some time by Chu Jichen's side?
So, does Qingming's statement that he saw Elder Yao in the camp mean that Chu Jichen... was also in the camp during that time?
She recalled the strange sense of familiarity she felt when she saw Chu Jichen stand up. Furthermore, both Chu Jichen and Chu Yuening had mentioned that he had liked her a long time ago.
Shen Qingci's eyelashes trembled violently uncontrollably.
Could it be... around that time?
However, if she truly recognized Chu Jichen's face, to the point that she was familiar with even his back, it meant she had seen him more than once. Therefore, it was impossible for her to have no recollection of him at all.
The only explanation is that Chu Jichen concealed his appearance at the time.
She always felt that the truth was right in front of her, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't remember it.
While Shen Qingci's mind was racing, Physician Li had already withdrawn his hand.
"Your Highness, rest assured," his voice was full of certainty, "you are in perfect health. Your previous miscarriage was quite clean, with no residue. It will not affect your ability to conceive again in the slightest."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci finally came to her senses, thanked Physician Li, and respectfully saw him out.
Not long after Physician Li left, Chu Jichen hurriedly returned in his wheelchair.
He clearly knew that Shen Qingci had summoned Physician Li, but he didn't know why. As soon as he entered, he carefully examined Shen Qingci, his voice filled with undisguised worry: "Why did you suddenly summon Physician Li? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Qingci shook her head and told the truth: "Didn't I promise you that after everything was over, I would... have a child?"
“I,” her voice trailed off, a fleeting hint of unease crossing her face, “was worried that my health might be detrimental to conceiving. That’s why I called Physician Li to take my pulse.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen was first taken aback, and then his eyes instantly flashed with wild joy!
He quickly pressed on, "And what was the result?"
“Doctor Li said,” Shen Qingci looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips, “that everything is fine and that she can get pregnant.”
Chu Jichen laughed, his laughter filled with boundless joy and satisfaction: "That's good."
Seeing Shen Qingci raise her eyebrows slightly as she looked at him, he quickly explained, "I'm happy not because you can have my child. It's just that I feel good knowing you're healthy."
Shen Qingci smiled, but suddenly changed the subject: "When I saw Elder Yao today, something suddenly came to mind."
"What?"
“I remember,” Shen Qingci looked at him, her clear phoenix eyes filled with inquiry, “I met Elder Yao in the camp before…”
"I just saw Physician Li and that's when I remembered. At that time, the old doctor was a military doctor in the camp. I was a little curious, so I asked Physician Li. Physician Li said that at that time, the old doctor was serving by the Prince's side."
Shen Qingci's eyebrows curved slightly, her voice full of understanding: "At that time, the prince was in the camp?"
"But back then, wasn't Your Highness disguised?"
Seeing Chu Jichen raise an eyebrow slightly, Shen Qingci continued, her voice full of certainty: "Before, when you were practicing standing while holding onto the table as Physician Li asked you to, I looked at your back as you stood up and felt that you looked somewhat familiar."
"Seeing Elder Yao today, and recalling the prince's silhouette from before, I suddenly remembered something."
She pretended to be profound, but in reality... she was trying to trick him.
He merely curled the corners of his lips and slowly said, "So it turns out that you were a prince back in the camp."
"Your Highness has kept this from me for quite some time."
“But I really can’t understand,” she looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion, “Your Highness…why did you hide this from me?”
Chu Jichen fell for the trap as expected!
His long eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, and then he coughed lightly, revealing a hint of undisguised embarrassment.
“Back then…” His voice was filled with unease, “I had a leg injury, I was limping, and I was wearing an unremarkable human skin mask. In addition, in order to blend in with ordinary soldiers, I used my own name as an alias, which was really too rustic.”
“I’m afraid…” he looked at her, his voice lowering, “afraid you’ll remember.”
Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat!
She immediately extracted several crucial words from Chu Jichen's words—
He has difficulty walking and walks with a limp.
Shen Qingci narrowed her eyes slightly. She had met many soldiers in the army, but there was only one who was disabled and limping!
She thought about it carefully, and the person... the person seemed to be called...
"Little soil"?
Xiaotu...
Put them together, and they just form the character "尘" (dust).
The "dust" in Chu Jichen's name.
Shen Qingci's heart trembled slightly. She looked at Chu Jichen, and the blurry figure of the boy named "Xiao Tu" uncontrollably appeared in her mind.
She remembered his face, tanned dark by the elements, and his eyes, always calm and deep, as if concealing countless secrets…
She simply couldn't reconcile that ordinary face with the incomparably handsome and breathtakingly beautiful face before her.
Shen Qingci murmured softly, "Little Earth... is dust."
“This name, which was originally so elegant and exquisite,” she looked up at him with a half-smile, “has indeed become rather rustic after being dismantled like this.”
Upon hearing her words, Chu Jichen couldn't help but cough lightly again, a faint blush creeping up his ears. He responded softly.
Shen Qingci looked at him and smiled. Her laughter was clear and melodious, full of understanding: "No wonder."
“Before, when I was in the camp, I would often discuss military strategy with you. I was surprised that an ordinary soldier could have such profound knowledge and strategies. It turns out that you are a prince.”
But she quickly realized what she meant, and her brows furrowed again: "But back then, your leg was indeed injured, but you were only slightly lame, not to this extent."
"And," her eyes were filled with confusion, "wasn't the old doctor by your side back then? How come your leg injury got worse and worse?"
Chu Jichen's face darkened instantly!
He smirked, his voice filled with cold sarcasm: "Back then, my leg was indeed injured in a battle."
"It was because of my injury that I realized my shortcomings in military campaigns and tactics. That's why my mother had me sent to your father's army, so that I could learn and practice while recovering from my injury."
"But later," a chilling glint flashed in his eyes, "the fact that I had spent more than a year in the Shen family army under an assumed name was...exposed to the emperor at the time."
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