Chapter 74◇
I see you're too hot from sleeping.
Feng Ran didn't know what Coptis chinensis was, but she was already surrounded by bitterness.
As she watched the prescription in Duan Jingchuan's hand and the medicine packet in Xiu'er's hand back away, her little head shook like a candle flame in the wind, her dilated pupils showing her resistance.
Duan Jingchuan's eyes twitched. He really hadn't expected Doctor Li to be so vengeful. Usually, the doctor in the family would just send the medicine or the prescription directly. He had used both methods, which was both ridiculous and exasperating.
The combined visual and olfactory impact clearly told them that he was seeking revenge.
I don't know what method Dr. Li used, but this Coptis chinensis smelled extremely bitter, and even he felt unwell.
"Go and pick out the Coptis chinensis inside, and decoct the rest of the medicine and send it over." Duan Jingchuan found it somewhat amusing; the purpose of this prescription was to directly tell him that Coptis chinensis was unnecessary.
Xiuer couldn't help but laugh, "Young Master, the Coptis chinensis herb is always wrapped in small packets."
...Okay, this is a more obvious form of retaliation.
Hearing that she didn't need to take Coptis chinensis, Feng Ran cautiously sidled up to her. "Other medicines won't taste like this, will they? Didn't he say I didn't need to take any medicine?"
"Dr. Li wouldn't speak without reason; he's just become a bit willful in his old age. Madam, would you please take these few doses of medicine?" Duan Jingchuan coaxed Feng Ran gently, as if he were a child.
Feng Ran couldn't stand the gentler version of Duan Jingchuan. Seduced by his good looks, she didn't care about drinking bitter medicine. Even if she were forced to eat bitter herbs on an empty stomach, she probably wouldn't refuse.
*
Duan Jingchuan kept his word and invited Chunyu Lan over the next day.
"I heard you've been sick lately. I wanted to visit you at the Chunyu residence, but my husband said it wasn't convenient for you and wouldn't let me go." Feng Ran finally saw the scent she liked the third most, and hugged Chunyu Lan tightly, refusing to let go.
Chunyu Lan blushed. Even though she had met Feng Ran many times, she was still shy about responding to Feng Ran's enthusiasm. She gently grabbed a small section of Feng Ran's sleeve and said softly, "The manor was in turmoil a few days ago, so I lied and said I was sick. It was indeed inconvenient for me to receive Sister Ran."
Feng Ran pinched Chunyu Lan's chubby cheeks and spoke in a gentle tone she had never used before, "Is everything settled now? If you can't beat me, I can help you. My fists are really hard."
"Thank you, Sister Ran. My brother has taken care of everything. He will take me out of the manor to live on my own from now on. Sister Ran, you are welcome to come and visit if you are interested." Chunyu Lan said with a smile.
The dilapidated new mansion did look rather tragic, but being away from those with wicked intentions, the brother and sister, having no relatives, could probably live a more carefree life.
"Just the two of you?" Feng Ran asked with envy. "It's really nice not to live with the elders. You can sleep in until you naturally wake up and play until the wee hours of the morning."
Chunyu Lan laughed so hard she almost fell over. "Sister Ran, I'm more envious of you than I am of myself."
Feng Ran deflated, her back slumped, and she looked utterly listless. "You don't understand. I have to stay in this box all the time. I have to report when I go in and out, and I can't go too far. Although I'm not a very active person, the feeling of being cooped up and being locked up is just different."
Isn't this how most women live?
Chunyu Lan didn't understand the meaning behind it, so she could only comfort her in another way, "Sister Ran, you are already very lucky. You don't know how many people envy you for having a good husband who is devoted to you. I heard from my brother that the young master plans to enter officialdom so that you can hold your head high among the women in the inner quarters."
At this point, Chunyu Lan was also envious. Which woman doesn't want to find a loyal and devoted husband? But such luck doesn't come easily. Even a princess would have several maids in her husband's room. A clean and pure household like Feng Ran's was hard to find in the entire capital.
Feng Ran agreed with the praise for Duan Jingchuan, after all, what attracted her to her husband first was his ethereal face, which looked like the perfect tonic. However, she said, "My husband is going to take up an official post? I've never heard of that."
Ah, Chunyu Lan nervously covered her mouth. She had spoken out of turn. She quickly said, "Sister Ran, please pretend I didn't mention it. It must be that the young master wanted to give you a surprise."
Feng Ran snorted, "This isn't a surprise for me, it's a shock. He doesn't like being an official, and there aren't many people he's interested in. Why would he make things difficult for himself?"
Feng Ran lowered her eyes, feeling a little uncomfortable. She began to reflect on when she had given the wrong signal, causing Duan Jingchuan to misunderstand that she liked being an official.
Seeing Feng Ran's low spirits, Chunyu Lan felt even more guilty. Why did she have to gossip like that? The couple's relationship was so good, why did she have to interrupt? She racked her brains before coming up with a topic, "Sister Ran, why don't we go for a walk outside the manor?"
Feng Ran shook her head. "Forget it, I've been through this many times. It's boring, and there are too many people."
Chunyu Lan was now at a loss, wishing she could turn back time and pretend she had never said those words.
Feng Ran had a very slow reaction time and only belatedly noticed Chunyu Lan's unease. She asked in confusion, "Is there an emergency at home? Husband is making a mountain out of a molehill, making you come all this way. You can leave anytime if you have something to do."
Chunyu Lan gritted her teeth. She was actually fine, but she didn't know how to comfort Feng Ran. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid of saying more things she shouldn't have, so she took her leave.
With Chunyu Lan gone, Feng Ran's mood became even more depressed, to the point that even Xiu'er started to feel uneasy.
"Princess Consort, are you feeling unwell?"
Feng Ran replied listlessly, "No, I just don't have much energy."
Xiuer frowned. In the past, the Crown Princess was always cheerful or playful. She had never been so depressed as she was today, as if she didn't even have the strength to speak. Considering that the Crown Princess had just seen a doctor, Xiuer dared not ignore this slight abnormality.
"Princess Consort, shall I call the Prince back? Or shall we go find him?" According to Xiu'er's understanding, as long as the Prince is by her side, the Princess Consort is always talkative and full of energy.
Feng Ran frowned. "He's been so busy lately, with so many people coming and going from the manor. He's probably busy with something at this hour, so I shouldn't disturb him."
She also wanted to go to Duan Jingchuan and often stay by his side, but she wasn't really out of her mind, deliberately trying to cause trouble when he was in trouble. Even if Duan Jingchuan didn't care, she couldn't do that.
Xiuer understood the Crown Princess's concerns and didn't try to persuade her further. After thinking for a moment, she came up with her second weapon, "Crown Princess, the kitchen will be making sweet rice dumplings in a little while. Would you like to eat some now?"
Feng Ran finally smiled, glancing at Xiu'er teasingly, and said helplessly, "I really didn't know what it was made of when I first ate it. I guess I got into some trouble while drunk, which is why my husband wouldn't let me continue eating it. I only brought it up yesterday to tease him. I'd better eat less of this stuff. If I cause any more trouble, my husband will have to put on a tough yet gentle face to clean up my mess again."
Xiuer was quite surprised. So the Crown Princess knew about this! Did she know about all those jokes from before?
Feng Ran saw Xiu'er's confusion, but she had no intention of answering her questions. Instead, she asked, "What happened that day? Why did my husband avoid me for so long afterward? There are rumors in the mansion that I would be abusive. Could it be that I accidentally hurt my husband?"
Xiuer hesitated, unsure how to describe what she had seen and heard that day, as well as what she had imagined.
The more hesitant Xiu'er became, the more curious Feng Ran grew. She became more alert, like a cat that had smelled fish, waiting with bright eyes for Xiu'er to feed her.
After carefully recalling the events of that day and carefully considering her words, Xiuer slowly and concisely recounted the events: "After the Princess Consort got drunk, she insisted that the Prince sit on your lap. During the struggle, the Prince injured his back and the corner of his mouth. Afterwards, the Prince himself carried you back."
Huh? Sit? What kind of scene is this?
Could it be that she was hallucinating after getting drunk and thought Duan Jingchuan was a giant rabbit?
That doesn't make sense either; rabbits are for eating, not for playing with.
Shaking her head, she decided not to let this bother her already slow-thinking mind. Since it was all in the past anyway, she lazily ordered, "If I can't eat fermented rice dumplings, can you give me some other desserts instead? As long as they don't have alcohol in them."
She didn't take the Coptis chinensis, but the medicine was still bitter. Taking bitter medicine really affects one's mood. No wonder people who have been ill for a long time have poor energy and spirit; they are tormented by bitter medicine. She needs to eat something sweet to relieve the pain.
When Duan Jingchuan returned, Feng Ran was sleeping soundly on the couch, a smile on her lips.
She curved her eyes into a smile, a dazzling light flashing in them. She gently picked up two playful strands of hair, leaned against the wall, and quietly gazed at the static portrait of the beauty.
After a while, the portrait of the beauty seemed to come alive. The beauty's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her glass-like eyes met the world.
The Sleeping Beauty, still a little groggy from just waking up, was greeted by a beautiful face, so gentle it was almost unbelievable.
Feng Ran seemed to be half-awake and murmured, "My husband, you talk so much."
The voice was so soft that Duan Jingchuan wouldn't have been able to hear the strange tone unless he leaned close to her ear. He thought Feng Ran was still dreaming and said gently, "Okay, I won't disturb you anymore. You can continue sleeping."
"I want a hug." Feng Ran stretched out her arms in a daze.
Duan Jingchuan gave a helpless twitch of his lips, took off his shoes, and pulled the blanket and Feng Ran into his arms. He let Feng Ran rest her head on his arm, kissed her forehead, and said, "Go back to sleep."
Smelling the familiar scent, Feng Ran nuzzled against his chest, gave him a casual kiss, and didn't forget to share half of the blanket with Duan Jingchuan, saying in a muffled voice, "Let's sleep."
Duan Jingchuan was also a little tired, his eyes were sore and swollen. With the warm and soft woman in his arms, he was overcome with sleepiness and fell asleep along with her.
When Duan Jingchuan opened his eyes again, he found Feng Ran tiptoeing and tugging at his clothes, already tearing them open most of the way, revealing his undergarments.
"Madam, you can be more open about it, instead of being so sneaky." Sure enough, his wife was his source of joy, and he couldn't help but smile every time he saw her.
Feng Ran was a little shy, but not much. Reluctantly giving up her almost successful plan, she muttered, "I saw you were too hot sleeping, so I wanted to help you cool down."
Duan Jingchuan felt the body temperature of himself and his wife, and decided not to expose her. He gently pulled Feng Ran's hand over and said helplessly, "Touch it."
A note from the author:
I can't take it anymore, I've discovered I'm really into rogue female leads, and all the ideas I come up with are related to them, like rogue female lead * yandere male lead, rogue female lead * aloof male lead, rogue female lead * childhood sweetheart male lead, I must be a hidden little rogue myself.
But then I thought about it again. Who doesn't like good looks? After all, all my male leads are handsome. Even if he's a rogue, I'm perfectly justified! I absolutely refuse to change!
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