Chapter 2 Yu'er
“Father,” Su Jingyu came over with a cup of ginseng tea. Seeing her father’s worried face, she gently comforted him, “Your Highness is blessed with good fortune and will surely be alright.”
Su Mingyuan sighed and took the teacup: "I hope so. But His Highness seems extremely agitated in his delirium, and it's difficult to get him to take his medicine. The imperial physician said that if the high fever doesn't subside, it might damage his health..."
As they were talking, the Crown Prince's personal guard leader, General Lu, came out with a solemn expression and bowed to Su Mingyuan, saying, "Lord Su, His Highness... seems to be somewhat uncomfortable with the smell of the local medicinal herbs, making it difficult for him to take the medicine. I've heard that your young lady is quick-witted, I wonder if..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
When the Crown Prince was in a daze, he seemed not to be repulsed by the gentle aura he had glimpsed that day, and it even had a strange calming effect on him.
Su Mingyuan was taken aback, looked at his daughter, and his face showed difficulty. It was against propriety to have his unmarried daughter serve a man outside the marriage.
Su Jingyu's heart skipped a beat. She recalled the day the Crown Prince had grasped her wrist; the spiritual spring energy emanating from her seemed to have relaxed him for a moment. Could it be... that the spiritual spring truly had a miraculous effect on him? A doctor's heart is compassionate, especially since the other party was the Crown Prince. If she delayed his treatment because of her own concerns, she would find it difficult to remain at ease.
“Father,” she said softly, her gaze resolute, “let your daughter give it a try. His Highness’s safety is of utmost importance.”
Looking into his daughter's clear eyes and then at General Lu's earnest expression, Su Mingyuan finally nodded heavily: "...Be careful in everything."
Stepping back into that room filled with the smell of medicine and a suffocating atmosphere, Su Jingyu felt much calmer than before. The imperial physician was helplessly standing by the bedside, a bowl of dark, thick medicine placed beside him, already half-cooled.
She walked to the bedside and saw that Xiao Jingzhan's eyes were closed, his face was flushed, and his thin lips were cracked. Even in his unconscious state, his brows were furrowed, as if he were enduring great pain. He would occasionally utter indistinct murmurs, either "kill" or "retreat," each word carrying the bloody scent of the battlefield.
Su Jingyu took a deep breath and said softly to the imperial physicians and maids, "You have all worked hard. Please rest for a while. Leave this to me."
Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and retreated to the outer room. Only the two of them remained inside.
She first tested the temperature of the medicine, which had already cooled, so she gestured to the maid at the door to warm it up. Then, she did the same thing, turning her back and quietly dripping a drop of the spiritual spring into a cup of warm water.
This time, instead of using a handkerchief, she used a small silver spoon to scoop up a little spring water and carefully brought it close to his lips.
“Your Highness,” she said in a very low voice, like the gentlest spring breeze in Jiangnan, “drink some water, it will make you feel better.”
Perhaps it was the natural soothing quality of her voice, or perhaps it was the pure aura of the spiritual spring that instinctively attracted his body, which was on the verge of losing control. When the cool rim of the spoon touched his lips, Xiao Jingzhan actually opened his mouth slightly.
Su Jingyu was overjoyed and patiently fed him water little by little. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed obediently. After a few spoonfuls, his tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax a little.
She put down the water glass and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead and his dry lips with a soft towel soaked in the spiritual spring water. Her movements were as gentle as a feather brushing against him, carrying the unique fragrance of a young girl and the refreshing scent of the spiritual spring, lingering around Xiao Jingzhan's nose.
In his dazed state, Xiao Jingzhan felt as if he had fallen from an endless purgatory into a warm, cloud-like brocade. The surroundings were no longer filled with blood and slaughter, but with a sweet and tranquil fragrance he had never smelled before.
A soft, warm hand was wiping away his pain, bringing him indescribable comfort. He instinctively moved closer to that source of warmth.
Seeing that he seemed calmer, Su Jingyu boldly extended her slender fingers and gently massaged his temples with her fingertips. This was a technique she had learned from traditional Chinese medicine, used to relieve headaches.
Time slipped away quietly. The rain outside the window gradually subsided, leaving only the pattering of water dripping from the eaves.
After an unknown amount of time, when Su Jingyu's wrists were starting to ache, the person on the bed suddenly let out a long sigh, no longer a painful murmur, but a relieved sigh as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
She looked down and met a pair of eyes that, though still bloodshot, had regained some of their clarity.
Those phoenix eyes were no longer cold and sharp, but instead held a hint of bewilderment and inquiry as they gazed deeply into her eyes.
Su Jingyu's heart skipped a beat, like a child caught doing something wrong, and she quickly tried to pull her hand back.
Unexpectedly, a large, hot hand quickly covered the back of her hand that was pressing against his temple, gently grasping her soft hand.
His palms were burning hot from the heat, but his strength was no longer as rough as last time; instead, it carried an undeniable gentleness, restraining her from escaping.
"Don't go."
His voice was still hoarse, but it was so deep it sounded like a whisper, carrying a dependence that even he himself was unaware of.
"What's your name?" he asked, his gaze falling on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with nervousness, like a newly blossoming peach blossom.
“…Su Jingyu.” Her voice was barely audible as she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.
“Jingyu…” he repeated softly, as if savoring the meaning of the two words, then his lips twitched slightly upwards, “She is as her name suggests. Yu’er… stay.”
The way he called her "Yu'er" carried an indescribable intimacy and naturalness, making Su Jingyu's heart tremble. She had never imagined that her nickname would be uttered in this way by a strange man, especially the Crown Prince.
Just then, a maid brought in the warmed medicine. Xiao Jingzhan glanced at the dark medicine, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, but his expression softened when he looked at Su Jingyu.
"You feed me." He looked at her, his tone calm, yet carrying the natural command of a superior, mixed with a hint of...coquetry?
Su Jingyu had no choice but to sit down by the bed and take the medicine bowl. This time, he was unusually cooperative. Although his brows furrowed with each sip, his gaze remained fixed on her face, as if looking at her could offset the bitterness of the medicine.
After feeding him the medicine, he drank half a cup of warm water mixed with spiritual spring water from her hand before lying down again, still holding her hand tightly.
"Your Highness...you should rest." Su Jingyu's cheeks flushed as she softly reminded him.
Xiao Jingzhan closed his eyes, and after a long while, he let out a soft "hmm," but showed no intention of letting go. He seemed extremely tired, or perhaps it was the tranquility brought by the spiritual spring and the person in front of him, but his breathing quickly became even and long, and he truly fell into a deep sleep.
Su Jingyu looked at their clasped hands. His palm was large, with distinct knuckles, completely enveloping hers, and a constant stream of heat emanated from it. She wanted to break free, but was afraid of disturbing him, so she could only remain in this awkward position, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.
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