Chapter 104 Chapter 104 "Take my life."...
The night is long and lonely.
Sheng Puzhu was trapped in a nightmare, and the recurring high fever made her mind confused.
In a trance, she seemed to have returned to that stormy midsummer. Everything before her eyes was no longer familiar. On the boundless river, a thin and familiar figure stood on the deck. In the hazy mist, his clothes fluttered in the wind.
"pearl."
"It's windy out at sea. Is it cold?"
"Aye?"
Sheng Puzhu stared blankly, a sour taste rising in her throat. She shook her head almost instinctively, "I'm not cold."
Sheng Juyong gazed at the seemingly calm river and nodded to himself, "It's better in the summer."
"Aye..." Sheng Puzhu murmured, wanting to take a step closer.
Sheng Juyong waved at her and said warmly, "Don't go any further. Go home."
Before he could finish his words, the river, which had been calm just a moment ago, suddenly began to whirlwind, with surging white waves and the cold sea water carrying a chill. The scene before his eyes suddenly became blurred and changed.
The wind and waves at sea were so strong that Sheng Puzhu could not hear anything. She saw the sea water backflowing, the landslide, and the rolling mud and rock flow, which seemed to be submerging the sky and the earth.
The salty smell of the waves mixed with mud hit her face, as if it was going to drown her.
Sheng Puzhu raised his head and said, "What about Aye? Where are you going? Won't you come home with me?"
Sheng Juyong's voice became softer, and his eyes became gentler: "No."
"He's here to pick you up, go home."
he?
Sheng Puzhu looked around blankly, only seeing a vast mist. "Who?"
Sheng Juyong raised his arm and pointed to a place: "Your Sanlang."
Sheng Puzhu looked into the distance in that direction, and seemed to see the towering Chang'an City through the fog, its vague outline outlined in the illusion.
"Let's go back."
Sheng Juyong's figure seemed to melt into the mist: "Go back to where you should go."
As the tide receded, Sheng Puzhu felt as if she was blown up by the wind. The sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. She felt hot, as if she was roasted in a fire. Tears kept oozing from the corners of her eyes, and she uttered broken mutterings from time to time.
“Don’t go…”
Sheng Puzhu woke up. She had been floating in the darkness for who knows how long. The long journey had exhausted her last strength. She managed to open her eyes, but her vision was blurry, figures were swaying, and she didn't know who was crying with joy.
When she regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was the stuffy heat that she couldn't escape.
The tent was filled with a strong smell of medicinal herbs, and the surroundings seemed to be filled with an lingering restlessness. The hot wind blew across the skin, but instead of bringing coolness, it made it even stickier.
"It's hot." Sheng Puzhu muttered and twisted his waist to get up.
My body was burning hot and covered with sweat, and my underwear was wet and stuck to my back, which was very uncomfortable.
It’s a pity that I have been lying down for too long, my hands and feet are stiff, and if I move a little, every bone in my body feels sore as if it has been pulled out.
Her wrist was heavy, probably wrapped with something, and it weighed heavily on her weak pulse.
Sheng Puzhu turned his head and looked over.
The round and white pearl chain was wrapped around her wrist, which was white and almost transparent. The pearls were evenly sized and shone with a moonlight-like luster, which made her feel at ease for some reason.
Sheng Puzhu was very familiar with this chain.
As far as she could remember, every time she was seriously ill, A'niang would wrap the pearl necklace around her wrist, as if by doing so, she could receive the protection of the gods and stay healthy forever.
Sheng Puzhu stared at the pearl necklace on her wrist in a daze, her pale lips curled up. She wanted to reach out to touch it, but when she raised her hand slightly, it was held tightly by another big hand.
"Be good, don't move."
"Master Yundeng is taking your pulse."
Only then did Sheng Puzhu notice that there were many people standing in the room. Nanny Du and Naidong were crying bitterly, and Princess Shoukang's eyes were also red. Her mother, her aunt, her grandmother, her brothers and her sisters were all there.
"I..." What happened?
Sheng Puzhu was speechless. He opened his eyes several times, but was so tired that he seemed ready to fall asleep again at any moment.
Master Yundeng rewrote the prescription, handed it to Nanny Yan beside him, and chanted a Buddhist mantra: "Madam Sheng is a blessed person."
The people in the room went out one after another. Princess Shoukang said nothing, but just touched her cheek with pity.
After everyone left, Xie Zhiyan stood in front of Sheng Puzhu's couch for a long time before carefully bending his knees and helping the person up.
He had a lot of experience in taking care of people, his strength was just right and his movements were gentle. Sheng Puzhu's thick, long eyelashes trembled. Because she had slept for too long, her almond-shaped eyes were misty and she looked dazed.
"I'm so tired."
"The journey from Dengzhou back to Chang'an is really too long. You carried me on the horse's back, and it was very uncomfortable."
Xie Zhiyan lowered his voice very low: "Is Puzhu awake?"
Sheng Puzhu blinked and looked at Chengchen on the top of the tent, stunned for a long time, as if he finally realized that he was still trapped in the bizarre dream and had not completely extricated himself.
She grabbed Xie Zhiyan's collar and said weakly, "I'm awake."
"Did you dream about Dengzhou?" Xie Zhiyan asked.
Sheng Puzhu put pressure on her fingertips, buried her head in his arms, and said in a muffled voice, "Hmm."
"I dreamed of Aye and many other people."
"You come to pick me up. I don't know you and I don't want to leave."
"Xie Zhiyan, you are so fierce. I can't even see your face clearly in my dream."
Xie Zhiyan stared at Sheng Puzhu's pale body, as fragile as paper and as fragile as thin porcelain: "If you feel wronged, just be fierce back, okay?"
"Anything is fine."
Sheng Puzhu closed her eyes and smelled the familiar cold fragrance on his body: "I feel uncomfortable, I want to take a bath."
It is not suitable to take a bath after waking up from a serious illness.
Xie Zhiyan didn't show any mercy: "Bathing is not possible, can I wipe it for you?"
Sheng Puzhu's cheeks puffed up, and she pursed her lips. She was torn between shyness and discomfort for a moment, and reluctantly agreed: "Yeah."
Xie Zhiyan brought warm water from the bathroom. A snow-white towel was placed on the edge of the basin. The copper basin was placed on the spring stool next to the couch.
The handkerchief was soaked and wrung half dry.
After wiping her, Xie Zhiyan took out a clean piece of clothing for her to change into. He looked calm, but his slightly rolled Adam's apple revealed that he was not calm.
"It's still early, are you sleepy?"
"Yeah, I'm still a little sleepy. It seems like I can never get enough sleep."
Sheng Puzhu moved to the side of the bed and generously made room for him.
Xie Zhiyan lay down beside her, stretched out his long arms, carefully held her in his arms, and let out a long sigh.
"My dear."
"It's been tough lately, hasn't it?"
Sheng Puzhu raised her hand, moving very gently and slowly. She stroked the sharp contours of Xie Zhiyan's eyebrows and eyes bit by bit. The skin on her fingertips was like a piece of newly melted snow, carrying the lingering smell of illness, and finally stopped at the new gray stubble on his jaw.
The touch was rough and slightly itchy.
She seemed to be frightened, curled up a little, and then slowly moved closer.
Along Xie Zhiyan's tense profile, he climbed up very lightly, taking in the flawless brows, the high nose bridge, the long and thick black eyelashes, and finally his cold fingertips landed on those two lips that were always tightly pursed, looking very cold-hearted.
"Why aren't you talking, my dear?" Sheng Puzhu sniffed his neck like a little animal. It was the faint scent of bath beans. He must have gone to the bathroom to take a shower after wiping her body, but he didn't have time to shave off his stubble.
Sheng Puzhu felt distressed. He would find it even harder than she did to accept his grandmother's passing.
She imitated the way Xie Zhiyan kissed her before and kissed him on the cheek. As if that was not enough, she bit him tentatively, leaving a red mark the size of a fingernail soon.
"Is this okay?" Sheng Puzhu raised his chin.
Xie Zhiyan still didn't answer, but his breathing suddenly stopped.
He could feel her soft touch, like the snow in early winter, the dew in the early morning, with her unique, almost intoxicating fragrance that could soak people.
She swallowed hard, pressing her fingertips against his lips without letting go.
Xie Zhiyan almost instinctively took a sip, then slowly took the jade finger that made it difficult for him to breathe into his mouth.
Sheng Puzhu narrowed her eyes like a cat, her fingertips trembling on his lips and tongue, but she did not retract them.
The two looked at each other, both of them had feelings that were difficult to express, but equally inexpressible.
Xie Zhiyan just hugged her tighter, opened his mouth, and gently touched Sheng Puzhu's fingertips with his lips, as solemnly as a kiss.
"You are so bad."
"Bozhu."
The words are not finished, but the meaning is profound.
It was clearly a reproach, but between the lines was a message of cherishing what had been lost and found again.
Sheng Puzhu raised her face, her almond-shaped eyes full of affection, which looked especially dark and moist after a long illness. Her pupils were misty, like spring water, flickering back and forth: "What's wrong?"
"Everything is bad."
"My heart and my life."
Xie Zhiyan stared at her without blinking: "But thank you, Puzhu too."
Thank you for waking up, thank you for becoming healthy, and thank you for not leaving me.
As Xie Zhiyan thought about this, the shadows at the corners of his lips gradually deepened. He rested his chin on her soft hair and took a deep breath. His floating heart finally settled down.
Sheng Puzhu was slightly startled: "Thank me for what?"
"Thank you..." Xie Zhiyan smiled, his cheek buried in her hair, his tone deep, every word seemed to be vibrating from the deepest part of his chest, "You didn't abandon me."
"Um."
"You're welcome."
Sheng Puzhu nodded, not quite understanding. Feeling sleepy, she instinctively found the most comfortable position in his arms and closed her eyelids heavily.
The two hugged each other and fell asleep in a daze.
When he woke up again, it was already the next morning. The sky was bright outside the window. Sheng Puzhu squinted his eyes and stretched.
The dead are gone, and the living are like this.
It’s the end of July and the summer heat is at its peak.
The weather was hot and humid, without a breath of cool breeze. The banana leaves in the courtyard were all curled up by the scorching sun.
Sheng Puzhu had just recovered from a serious illness and could not keep ice in the room, so Madam Du and several servants took turns fanning her.
It was the lazy afternoon when a maid stood outside the door and whispered, "Madam, there's a letter from Yongzhou. It was sent by Miss Xie."
"Did the person who delivered the letter give any instructions?" Sheng Puzhu raised his eyes when he heard this.
The old woman shook her head: "He just hurriedly stuffed the letter to the gatekeeper and ran away."
Sheng Puzhu asked Madam Du to take the letter, and she read it for a long time.
The letter paper felt quite heavy in my hand, a thick stack, carefully sealed with crimson wax, leaving only a few beautiful small characters of "Mother's personal letter, kept in a gentle manner".
Xie Qingwan, the eldest daughter of the first wife, married in Yongzhou to Luo Xian, the son of the governor of Yongzhou.
Although the Luo family is not as noble as the Xie family, they are still a prominent family in Chang'an.
It's just that the old lady passed away, and the family went to Yongzhou to report the death. Logically, as the eldest granddaughter, Xie Qingwan should have returned to her parents' home to attend the funeral, but there was no movement from Yongzhou.
If the news was delayed due to the long journey, that would be impossible, because even my aunt Xie Yun, who had married far away in Weizhou, had arrived, and Yongzhou was only more than an hour away from Chang'an by galloping.
If there was something else that delayed her, she should have sent someone to tell them earlier, instead of waiting for almost two months before sending a letter home. Could it be that she didn't even know that her own parents had gone to Boling to mourn?
Sheng Puzhu frowned. No matter what, this letter...
She hesitated for a moment, then instructed outside, "Put this letter in safekeeping, and immediately send someone to the Boling old house to personally deliver it to Madam Qin."
After a pause, Sheng Puzhu warned, "Be careful on the way and don't let it pass through other people's hands."
"yes."
Madam Du lowered her voice and said, "Mrs. Xie just wrote to you. Could it be that she doesn't know about the changes in the mansion?"
Sheng Puzhu's gaze returned to the book. Considering how much Qin cared about her children, as long as the letter was sent to Boling, Qin would naturally find a solution herself. She did not want to get involved in the mess of the first house.
So he said calmly, "After all, this is a matter between mother and daughter. Since Madam Xie's letter has been delivered to me, I will just deliver it to Qin."
The sun sets and the heat subsides slightly.
Xie Zhiyan returned home from his shift, changed into his casual clothes and went straight into the green gauze cabinet.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Are you feeling unwell?"
He walked to the low couch for cooling off and naturally reached out to touch Sheng Puzhu's forehead.
"Except for the heat, everything else is fine."
"If you can have some ice brought to the house, I'll be fine."
Xie Zhiyan refused without a second thought, "No, Master Yundeng said that you are in poor health and need to be careful about your food, clothing, and daily expenses. Using ice is absolutely not an option for you."
"My dear."
Sheng Puzhu's voice was so soft that it seemed like water could be squeezed out of it.
Xie Zhiyan remained unmoved: "It's no use acting like a spoiled child."
"Okay." Sheng Puzhu put down the scroll in her hand, which she couldn't read a single word. "Half an hour ago, Aunt Duanyang sent someone to say that after I recuperate for a while, she wants to invite me to her house for a chat the day before Mid-Autumn Festival."
Xie Zhiyan washed his hands, wiped the water stains from his fingertips with a handkerchief, took over the work from Nanny Du, and peeled grapes for Sheng Puzhu himself, without saying a word for a long time.
"I understand your concerns. It's not about having a banquet or drinking or having fun. Aunt Duanyang is hosting and has invited a few familiar ladies to get together and chat."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly when he heard this, but his expression remained calm. He only raised his eyebrows and asked casually, "Can you come back home for dinner tonight?"
How could Sheng Puzhu not hear the deeper meaning in his words? This man's terrifying possessiveness became more and more arrogant as their relationship became closer.
She smiled slowly and deliberately, her rosy cheeks looked as if she had painted them with rouge, and her tone was soft.
"Of course I have to take it back, lest my husband abandon his gentlemanly manners and try to climb over the wall or through the window."
"After all, I am shy and afraid of being laughed at by the elders."
Xie Zhiyan rested his long legs on the ground, picking up a plump and crystal clear grape with his fingertips. His eyes were deep, and with a little force, the soft grape skin broke, and the sweet juice overflowed, meandering down along the bony bones of his hand, leaving an attractive water mark.
"Try it."
Xie Zhiyan passed the grapes to Sheng Puzhu's lips, but his fingertips did not leave. Instead, they brushed across her soft lower lip with the slippery texture.
Sheng Puzhu's eyelashes trembled slightly. She took the grape from his hand and said vaguely, "My dear, you won't let me go?"
"I'm not stopping you." Xie Zhiyan's eyes darkened. He pulled his hand back and said nonchalantly, "Stay away from those gentlemen who wear little clothes, act delicately, and have greasy voices."
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