Chapter 33 "Can I touch my face?"...
This commotion gave Meng Min another headache.
Zhenniang hurriedly went to fetch a doctor.
Meng Min was helped to lie down on the side couch by Xie Yushu. She felt a pair of cold hands massaging the acupoints on her head. She thought it was the maidservant beside her, but in her dizziness and nausea, she heard Xie Yushu say softly, "Mother, you rest, I'll massage it."
Meng Min opened her eyes in a daze and saw Qiao Bao'er beside her. Qiao Bao'er herself was pale but was still massaging her acupoints, and said softly to Xie Yushu, "It's okay, it's not tiring. Mother is used to serving people. Mother does these things, so you don't have to..."
Those hands never stopped.
Meng Min closed her eyes, her nose stung, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
The hand gently wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks, and whispered to her, "Madam, please bear with it a little longer. The doctor will be here soon. I'll massage it for you again; it will make you feel better."
Meng Min's eyelids began to tremble uncontrollably. She raised her hand to cover her face and wept bitterly. She had devoted half her life to Xie Zhian, leaving her with a host of illnesses. What had she gotten in return?
With his daughter missing, Xie Zhi'an hasn't stopped searching for women, especially the leader's wife, for a single day...
The people who took care of her when she was sick were actually Qiao Bao'er and her daughter, whom she looked down on the most.
Only now did she fully understand what Xie Yushu had said to her in the West Garden: Qiao Bao'er and Yushu were never her enemies; they were just pitiful people like her. She should hate Xie Zhi'an!
"Cry, it's better to cry than to keep it inside," Xie Yushu said softly to her. "Once Madam has finished crying, we can discuss things further, and everything will be alright."
Should we take a long-term view?
Meng Min murmured sorrowfully, "How can I get better? Jianing can't be found, and I'm so sick... What can I hope for?"
“Jia Ning will be found, and Madam’s health is not beyond repair,” Xie Yushu said softly. “As long as she recovers, there is hope.”
Meng Min thought her words were just empty words of comfort, but then she heard her lower her head and whisper in her ear: "Madam has many hopes. It just depends on which path you choose. If you choose to protect the foundation of the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion and wait for Jianing to return so that Jianing can inherit this foundation, then I will deal with Xie Zhi'an for you."
Meng Min stared at her in shock, her sobs ceasing. What was she saying? What did she mean by getting rid of Xie Zhi'an?
Xie Yushu wiped away her tears and said in a gentle tone, "If you can't bear to do this because of our marital bond, there are other ways. Just focus on getting better. I will definitely help you to the end, since you helped me and my mother this time."
Meng Minzai looked at her carefully and suddenly realized that her words might not be empty words of comfort; she... had really thought it through and dared to do it...
"Congratulations, host, you have gained 1 point of Popularity Points." The system message rang in Xie Yushu's ear: "From Meng Min."
Xie Yushu glanced at her current 24 points of "charm value" and didn't quite understand what that meant. She asked the system: "If the female lead Xie Jianing represents 100 points of charm value, then which character does 24 points represent?"
The system quickly responded to her: "The male lead, Xiao Zhen, currently has a popularity rating of 30 points."
Xie Yushu was surprised. Xiao Zhen only had 30 points? How could he become emperor? No wonder he wasn't even the crown prince yet.
"After he wins over the female lead, his popularity score will increase to 50 points. 50 points of popularity score is enough for him to be named the crown prince." The system explained to her: "The more important the character you win over, the more popularity score you will gain. And the female lead, male lead, and villain are the characters in this world who can generate the most popularity score."
If she manages to win over all three of them, wouldn't her score skyrocket to 100 points?
"Currently, no player has been able to successfully romance the male and female leads and the villain, so we cannot provide you with relevant data." The system added, "In this world, there was once a character whose 'charm value' was set at 40 points, and she successfully romanced two emperors."
who?
“Wan Susu.” The system said a name that sounded unfamiliar, and then said, “She is Yu Su, the female Taoist priest in Yuqing Temple today, and Xiao Zhen’s birth mother.”
That legendary imperial concubine.
Xie Yushu immediately understood the power of 40 points of popularity. Xiao Zhen's birth mother was originally a palace maid, but she was forcibly taken by two emperors and had an affair with a founding hero. The two emperors were also uncle and nephew.
This is also why Wan Susu, as a concubine, became a Taoist nun at Yuqing Temple.
Footsteps sounded outside, and Zhenniang rushed in with the doctor.
Xie Yushu stepped aside and glanced out the window. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast. She wondered what time it was and whether Song Jie would still go to the Pei residence to pick her up tonight.
Is this the third or fourth day that we've been fishing for him without success?
She thought for a moment, then waved to Jin Ye and whispered some instructions.
※
As darkness fell, Song Jie returned home wearily from the palace. The Emperor was now engrossed in researching elixirs of immortality, and his health was deteriorating day by day. The position of Crown Prince was still undecided, and the First Prince's faction had been stirring up trouble in court these past few days, vying with him. It was time for Song Jie to take drastic measures to push Xiao Zhen to the position of Crown Prince...
The damp night wind blew into the carriage, and he coughed twice from the cold, which aggravated the wound on his shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. He couldn't help but think that he hadn't seen Xie Yushu for several days.
She was either busy taking care of her mother, or she was too tired to go to bed...
Song Jie always felt that she was deliberately avoiding seeing him. Was it because of what happened in the carriage that night?
He recalled the bite she had given him in the carriage, and his mind became agitated. Things seemed to have become strange between him and Xie Yushu. In the past few days, he could always smell her floral fragrance in the carriage, on the bed, and on his clothes, which made him restless.
Perhaps, keeping a low profile for a few days would be a better choice.
She was just a substitute for Jia Ning, and Pei Shilin's wife. Did he really want to keep having these "secret rendezvous" with her and be entangled with her forever?
Song Jie closed his eyes and did not instruct Cang Shu to detour to the Pei residence to pick her up.
The carriage stopped in front of the Prime Minister's residence, and Cangshu held up an umbrella to help him down.
"It's raining again?" Song Jie clutched his cloak tighter and coughed twice in the drizzle.
Someone called out from not far away: "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister."
Song Jie looked up and saw Xie Yushu's little maid running towards him in the night rain, holding a small umbrella, and bowing to him: "You're finally back."
Could it be that Xie Yushu came to find him himself?
Song Jie's heart skipped a beat for no reason, but he didn't see a carriage or anyone else behind the maid.
“My lady sent me to tell the Prime Minister that she will be staying at the Yong’an Marquis’s residence tonight to take care of the Marquis’s wife and will not be able to come to see the Prime Minister.” Jin Ye handed the things in her hand to Cang Shu. “This is a plaster that my lady obtained. She said it was a gift from the palace and is very good at treating wounds without leaving scars. She specially asked me to deliver it to the Prime Minister.”
Cangshu took the medicine and glanced at the Prime Minister.
Song Jie's face was cold and indifferent, revealing neither his happiness nor his displeasure. He simply said, "What in the palace don't I have? Is a bottle of ointment worth making this trip for?"
After he finished speaking, he turned and went into the mansion.
Jin Ye pouted in dissatisfaction and took the bottle of ointment back from Cang Shu's hand: "Since the Prime Minister doesn't care, then I'll take it back."
Cangshu said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Madam Pei, and thank you for making this trip." He took out a handful of loose silver and handed it to Jinye.
"No need, I'm just doing what Madam instructed." Jin Ye refused and turned to leave.
Cangshu was somewhat amused and exasperated. The maidservant beside Madam Pei was also different from the others; she was quite arrogant.
He dared not delay and hurried into the mansion.
Before even entering the house, one could hear the Prime Minister coughing inside.
He lifted the curtain and went inside, where he saw the Prime Minister sitting at the table in the dim light, feeding plates of dried meat. His temples and shoulders were quite wet, and he coughed occasionally, covering his mouth.
Cangshu ordered the stove to be lit again and a meal to be served.
Song Jie had no appetite at all. He took off his clothes and saw that the wound on his shoulder was bleeding again. His body had been getting worse and worse since he was poisoned. Even the smallest wound was very difficult to heal and would always fester.
Cangshu brought his medicine box to change his dressing and couldn't help but whisper, "Prime Minister, please eat a little. You've been eating too little these past few days, and your body probably can't take it. I've ordered the kitchen to cook a bowl of pork wontons for you to eat."
Song Jie looked down at him coldly, "Cang Shu, you're getting more and more prone to making decisions on your own. When did I ever say I liked pork lard wontons?"
Cangshu remained silent, removing the blood-soaked gauze, when she heard Song Jie ask, "Where's that bottle of ointment?"
plaster?
Cangshu was stunned for a moment before he realized, "Is the Prime Minister asking about the bottle that Madam Pei sent?"
Song Jie stared at him coldly without saying a word, giving him an expression that told him to stop asking questions he already knew the answer to.
Cangshu's expression turned awkward: "Didn't you say you didn't want it? Madam Pei's maid took it..."
Song Jie's face turned cold, and he didn't say anything more.
The rain grew heavier and heavier, and soon the wind picked up. It was only the beginning of autumn, but the night rain had already turned cold.
Another heater was lit in the room, but Song Jie still felt cold. The cold seemed to seep into his bones, and his chest felt like it was frozen. Even the air he coughed out was icy.
Although it wasn't as unbearable as when the poison took effect, the occasional muffled coughs pulled at his wounds, causing pain all over his chest. He lay on the couch with cold hands and feet, finding it difficult to fall asleep, so he lifted the bed curtains and called out, "Panpan."
The mastiff that was sleeping outside immediately got up, crawled into the house, and wagged its tail as it came toward him.
"Come here." Song Jie patted the bed.
The mastiff obeyed the command and climbed onto the bed, skillfully curling up and lying down, taking up most of the bed.
Song Jie smiled, a rare occurrence, as he groomed the bushy black fur, lay down on his side, and hugged it, just like when he was a child and held the little yellow dog he had raised.
Unfortunately, after he was poisoned, the little yellow dog disappeared. He went back to look for it, but could not find it.
"Good Panpan." He pressed his face against Panpan's head, feeling a little warmth. No one in this world would never leave him or abandon him, only his dog would always follow him.
The room was too hot. Panpan, with its thick fur, soon started panting like a bellows because of the heat, but it still obediently let Song Jie hold it. When it heard Song Jie coughing, it would sniff his face with its nose, as if afraid that he would cough to death.
Song Jie closed his eyes wearily, trying his best to suppress his cough and ease the pain. It was so cold; every day he lived was this cold. Yet, memories of catching fish in the river as a child kept replaying in his mind.
The more he recalled these things, the deeper his hatred grew. He wasn't born into such suffering; it was his mother who created him to suffer so much, yet she claimed she had never regretted it.
How could she not regret making him drink that bowl of poison?
How could she not be in pain because of this?
How can he be the only one suffering...?
The plate in my arms suddenly moved.
He suddenly smelled the fragrance of flowers and heard someone chuckle and say, "Did the dog lull you to sleep?"
Song Jie suddenly opened his eyes and saw Xie Yushu holding up the bed curtains and looking at him, almost thinking he was dreaming.
How could she... be here? Is he dreaming?
But she bent down, her fair fingers gently touching Panpan, and smiled at him, saying, "Is Prime Minister Song trying to kill Panpan with the heat?"
The fragrance of floral dew wafted towards him from the corners of her eyes and brows.
Song Jie reached out and grasped the hand that was touching the plate. The warm fingers seemed to have inexhaustible energy. It was real; he wasn't dreaming.
"Why are you here?" he asked instinctively.
She struggled for a moment, and he involuntarily gripped her even tighter.
She smiled and mocked him, "If Prime Minister Song doesn't want me to come, why is he holding on so tightly?"
When did he ever say he didn't want her to come?
Song Jie couldn't help but say, "Isn't it because Madam Pei is too busy and doesn't want to earn this money from me?"
"I am indeed very busy," Xie Yushu said. "My mother just had a miscarriage and needs someone to take care of her, and the Lady Hou is ill and also needs someone to take care of her."
"If you're so busy, why are you here again?" Song Jie asked, picking up where she left off, as if he absolutely had to hear something.
Xie Yushu looked at him and said slowly, "It's raining so hard, I'm afraid you've fallen ill too."
Song Jie stood there, stunned, as if he had been thrown into a hot spring. He hadn't expected to hear such words.
He thought she would say: "You've taken time out of your busy schedule to make money."
But she said: It's raining so hard, I'm afraid he'll get sick too.
Song Jie let go of her hand in a daze, only then noticing that her shoulder was soaked by the rain. She had rushed over in the rain, not to make money, but because she was worried that he would get sick.
Cangshu outside the door waved to Panpan.
Panpan jumped off the bed as if she had been freed and ran out the door.
The door closed, the room light swayed in the wind, and Song Jie couldn't help but cough again.
Xie Yushu reached out and gently patted his back, asking, "Did you take your medicine?" Then she asked, "Cangshu said you didn't eat dinner?"
Song Jie lowered his eyes, unable to describe the feeling at this moment, only feeling a sharp soreness in his throat and eyes.
She simply scolded him: "How can you get better if you don't eat..."
His heart ached, and he couldn't help but reach out and hug her, closing his eyes and pressing himself against her warm embrace, saying, "It's been too long since I've gotten better."
She sat there stiffly.
Fearing she might break free, he spoke first, "Ten thousand taels of gold, don't go, lie down with me for a while." He held her tightly in his arms, leaned down and pressed her onto the couch, not daring to look at her face, and turned to pull her into his embrace, murmuring, "Xie Yushu, you can continue to make money off me. I have a lot of money, and I won't live much longer. You can take it all..."
He didn't want her to leave, nor did he want her to play the role of Xie Jianing. At this moment, he just wanted her to lie quietly with him like this, letting him hold her.
Perhaps because of the ten thousand taels of gold, she didn't move at all, letting him hold her without saying a word.
The only sound in the quiet room was their breathing. Amidst the pattering rain, she gently placed her hand on his back, slowly stroking his cold skin, and asked, "Want me to imitate your Jia Ning?"
Song Jie opened his eyes and looked at her. Her face, which was only painted with lipstick, was turned to face him. Her long, narrow eyes and the black mole on the tip of her nose were unique features that belonged to her.
But she used that face to deliberately smile and call him, "Little Taoist Priest."
Song Jie was inexplicably angry, but he didn't know why he was angry. He raised his hand and covered her mouth, saying in a hoarse voice, "Don't speak, Xie Yushu. I just want you to lie with me for a while."
She really stopped talking and turned her face away from him.
Song Jie held her tightly. She was as hot as melting perfume, and her unique floral fragrance almost overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes, pressed his forehead against her shoulder, and gently brushed his nose against her arm. The floral fragrance was like drinking strong liquor; the more he smelled it, the more intoxicated he became, and the more restless and agitated he felt. He could only hold her tighter and tighter, his lips pressing against the spring dress on her shoulder…
He dared not actually touch her skin; it felt like scratching an itch through a boot. Uncomfortable, he opened his eyes and gazed at her flushed neck, saying in a low, hoarse voice, "Xie Yushu..."
She hummed in response and turned to look at him. Seeing his face, a strange smile flickered in her eyes. Feigning surprise, she asked, "Song Jie, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
Song Jie caught the smugness in her eyes and realized that she must know exactly why he was blushing at this moment...
He stared at her, his eyes burning with an intense heat, knowing full well he shouldn't, knowing he would be humiliated, yet he couldn't help but utter in a hoarse voice, "Your hand..."
He grasped her burning hand through his sleeve and asked in a very low voice, "May I touch my face?"
Before she could mock him, he said, "Twenty thousand taels of gold, how about that?"
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Author's Note: Xie Yushu: Once you've trained him properly, the withdrawal opportunity will automatically generate gold coins. [doge]
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