Chapter 63: Unable to stop him from coming towards her
After waiting for a few days, Du Heng finally couldn't bear it anymore and called Taoxi to the study.
"Cousin, have you read the book?"
Taoxi nodded: "I saw it."
"Didn't she write anything?"
Taoxi didn't dare to look Du Heng in the eye. She thought to herself, if the cousin had written it, wouldn't she have handed the booklet to Sister Chunnuan? She wouldn't have been summoned by the young master at this time.
The master had clearly stated that if the cousin brought it up, she should just say she was sent from the front courtyard and not mention that she was originally serving in the master's study. But it was lunchtime, with people coming and going. If the cousin saw her running to the west courtyard, wouldn't she be exposed?
She couldn't figure out why, but she didn't dare to ask, so she had to lower her head and answer every question the young master asked.
Du Heng felt that this was several times more difficult than thinking about how to solve the problem. He frowned and pondered over it again and again, but still couldn't figure it out.
"Did you see my cousin flipping through the book?"
Taoxi nodded. "As you instructed, I brewed the tea Qingquan sent for my cousin. At that moment, my cousin was just picking up the book. Afterwards, I brought over the three-colored cakes Qingquan had given her. The book was then placed on the corner of the desk. I think my cousin did read it."
"What did she look like then? Was she happy or sad? Or was she at ease?"
This stumped Taoxi. From childhood to adulthood, no one had taught her that she should stare at her master's face when pouring tea or water for him.
After all, Taoxi had originally been a servant in Du Heng's study. While she wasn't as familiar with the Master's temperament as Chunnuan, she was nonetheless quite as tactful. She thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Although I don't know what my cousin's expression is, she didn't touch the cakes I brought her."
It was clearly a New Year's Eve, but she was only interested in the cakes. It seemed that his words were too harsh and made her unhappy?
Du Heng thought about it secretly and did not ask any more questions. Taoxi did not dare to say anything and just waited quietly.
The study was silent until Qingquan, who was guarding outside, came in and softly reminded, "Master, it's time to let Taoxi go back. My cousin will be going to the library soon."
This sentence reminded Du Heng, and he waved to Taoxi and asked her to go back.
But just as Taoxi was about to leave, Du Heng stopped her and asked, "How's the library going?"
Taoxi just remembered that she forgot to tell the master: "My cousin has sprained her ankle."
Du Heng hurriedly asked, "When did it happen? Why did you sprain your ankle?"
"My cousin said that the book list has been preliminarily checked, and she needs to rearrange each book according to category. Yesterday, some books were high up, and the maid offered to help, but my cousin refused, saying she wanted to do it herself. However, the small ladder fixed to the side of the bookshelf broke as soon as my cousin stepped on it after so many years. However, my cousin is fine, and she, she won't let me tell anyone..."
Taoxi felt that she had not done a good job, and her voice became lower and lower.
Seeing that the young master remained silent after hearing this, Qingquan winked at Taoxi, telling her to go back quickly and not reveal her true identity.
Su Ying accidentally sprained her ankle yesterday and went back to the side yard to rest. Before leaving, she specifically told Tao Xi not to make a fuss and agreed to come back at noon today.
Although her aunt had told her many times to take advantage of the New Year holidays to rest and that there was still plenty of time for the library, she was unwilling to sit idle, especially these days. She found that if she stayed in the side courtyard, some thoughts would pop up uncontrollably.
Moreover, if she wasn't busy in the library, Wanyi would come looking for her. She didn't know if Wanyi had accidentally become her brother's messenger, or if she did it willingly. She only felt that the library was becoming more and more like a safe haven for her.
However, Taoxi is his, so it seems that "safe haven" is not quite accurate.
In short, she could only make herself look like she had no time to look elsewhere by being busy, as if this would prevent herself or others from pushing her in that direction.
But she was wrong after all.
Although she didn't allow herself to go in that direction, she couldn't stop him from coming towards her.
Because her ankle was still a little painful, she didn't sort out the books on the high places, but asked Taoxi to move a small stool and start from the low places.
However, there are also inconveniences in cleaning the low places. If she continues to insist on doing it herself, it will seem artificial, so she simply lets Taoxi help.
"Taoxi, why don't you move a stool and sit down?"
Taoxi shook her head and said with a smile, "Miss Cousin, please don't worry about me. Just treat me as your two legs. Just tell me where to put the book, and I'll put it there."
Su Ying thought about it and felt that it was right. She couldn't just move the stool to another place after setting it up in one place, so she said softly, "Thank you very much. Just set up the bottom layer today. Don't rush it, and don't tire yourself out."
Su Ying took the list she had previously divided and read out the titles while asking Tao Xi to look for the books on the shelf. Tao Xi knew a fairly good range of characters, but she had never read any books before, so even after Su Ying pointed out the shelf, she was still a little slow in finding the books.
"Don't worry, this is something that will take time to find. Just take your time."
Su Ying noticed that Taoxi felt a little guilty, so she comforted her softly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle voice came from behind him: "What are you looking for?"
She was sitting facing the bookshelf and couldn't see the person coming, but she didn't need to look back to know who it was.
As the footsteps got closer, her heartbeat became clearer and clearer, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
Out of courtesy, Su Ying wanted to stand up first, but her ankles were powerless and she couldn't stand up.
That plain and slender back, those hands supporting the stool, and those fingertips that turned white from the leverage.
All of it fell into his eyes.
You clearly sprained your ankle, why don’t you rest for a few days?
He sighed inwardly, but pretended not to know. He just walked up to her and asked, "Are you sorting books?"
"I'm quite familiar with the books here. How about I help you? You just sit here and read from the list. Don't get up. Just tell me what book you want, and I'll find it for you."
Without waiting for her consent, he walked straight towards Taoxi and asked, "Which book can't you find?"
Taoxi quickly said, "The Treatise on Febrile Diseases, my cousin said it's on the third floor on the east side, but I haven't found it."
Du Heng nodded, raised his hand and walked along the three-story bookshelf. His slender fingers gently passed over the books, like a skilled musician plucking the strings. After a while, he found the "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" with a slight flaw on the cover.
He took the book with a smile and walked in front of Su Ying. Tenderness was revealed in his eyes and brows, as if he could not accommodate anyone else except her at this moment.
He slowly bent his knees and lowered himself, not wanting to put any pressure on her by standing so high up. His deep eyes looked at her, and his voice was low and gentle, "This medical book is the one I've read the most in my free time over the past three years."
He paused, the corners of his lips curved slightly, but a barely perceptible sigh surfaced in his eyes: "If I hadn't promised my father to continue on the path of the imperial examination, I think I might have given up literature and pursued medicine."
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