Chapter 31 Fragrance
"What?"
Cen Yan smiled.
I just couldn't resist.
Zhuang Dongqing, as if his soul had left his body, said in a monotone voice, "Please, elder brother, patriarch, ancestors, please drink it."
Cen Yan couldn't stop laughing.
Zhuang Dongqing remained calm.
More accurately, it's numbness.
It's not the first time; you'll get used to it eventually.
Cen Yan stopped laughing and said softly, "How pathetic."
His smiles were constant, his demeanor not serious, but rather conveyed a sense of intimacy.
Zhuang Dongqing muttered, "Hmm, no, it's not like you just found out today."
Holding a bowl and looking up, he looked pitiful.
Their eyes were bright, clear, and pure.
Cen Yan felt conflicted.
Zhuang Dongqing seemed to sense something, so she handed the bowl to him without saying a word, staring at him intently.
"...Bring it here."
Yay!
Zhuang Dongqing rushed to Cen Yan and fed him water.
He rushed over, bringing the bowl to his lips before slowing down, "Slow down, don't choke."
"Let's drink it in three portions."
"Yes, slowly."
Zhuang Dongqing kept muttering to herself, afraid that Cen Yan would drink too quickly.
Yu Guangzhong's expression was also sincere. Zhuang Dongqing didn't look into Cen Yan's eyes; her attention was entirely on his mouth.
Cen Yan stared at Zhuang Dongqing as he finished drinking the water.
"call--"
He drank the last sip and let out a long breath, as if he had completed some task.
Cen Yan's heart skipped a beat, but his words were rather unpleasant as he reminded her, "With so much water, we'll have to get up again soon..."
Get up, I need to pee.
"Yes, that's right, get up a few more times."
"?"
Zhuang Dongqing put down the bowl of water and said without any distraction, "You need to go several times so the fever will subside quickly."
After saying that, he added to himself, "This bowl of water is getting cold. I'll bring in a hot one later."
Cen Yan: "It's alright."
"Okay, I'll go wash the dishes first."
She greeted everyone and hurried out. Looking at Zhuang Dongqing's cheerful steps, those who knew her would know that she had successfully persuaded Shui, while those who didn't would think that some happy event had occurred.
At this point, my thoughts paused.
Is this... considered a happy occasion in Zhuang Dongqing's eyes?
Cen Yan didn't know.
I didn't want to think about it too much.
But influenced by Zhuang Dongqing, my mood improved a lot, and I inexplicably felt a tenderness in my heart.
It was a strange experience, but I didn't dislike it.
After these words, Zhuang Dongqing seemed to have broken through some barrier. Although she still blushed and felt embarrassed, the tingling sensation on her scalp was much better.
Perhaps they've already revealed themselves, shown all their cards, and there's nothing more they could lose face for.
Anyway, I've already told Cen Yan, so if he doesn't like it, there's nothing I can do.
That's all he can do!
By the afternoon, Zhuang Dongqing was exhausted. Liu Fu, who had been resting for a while, also missed him and rushed over to relieve him.
Change her clothes and let Zhuang Dongqing lie down on the bed.
Zhuang Dongqing pleaded pitifully, "Is it okay?"
As he asked this, he rubbed his eyes, clearly tired from sitting for so long.
After asking, Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan, who said, "Okay. It's warm now, so you don't need to take off your clothes. Didn't we bring back a clean blanket this morning? Use that to rest. I'll go out and have Liufu call you."
Zhuang Dongqing, somewhat bewildered, thought it was feasible and said, "Okay."
He wobbled a bit when he climbed into bed, so Liu Fu quickly steadied him. Afraid that Cen Yan would find it offensive, he tried to smooth things over for Zhuang Dongqing, saying, "Young Master was gone for too long yesterday, and given his current special circumstances, it's different for him."
Cen Yan listened, his eyebrows twitching slightly, but he didn't speak.
Once Zhuang Dongqing's breathing had evened out, Liu Fu asked, "Is he very tired today? Is he feeling unwell anywhere?"
The question was asked softly, and Liu Fu answered softly as well, "I didn't hear him say he felt unwell, he just had no appetite and kept rubbing his eyes."
That was really tiring.
Yesterday's journey was still too much for Zhuang Dongqing.
He understood, but knew there was nothing he could do about it, so Cen Yan stopped thinking about it.
They only exchanged a few words. Zhuang Dongqing probably wasn't sleeping very soundly. She was thinking about Cen Yan and her heart was pounding. When she heard a noise, she groggily asked Liu Fu if he was going to get up. When she received no answer, she fell asleep again.
Before falling asleep, she mumbled, "When we get back to Beijing, I'll take you to the most expensive restaurant, and we'll have a good meal together."
Liu Fu responded well and lulled the person to sleep.
Cen Yan, however, was very thoughtful. He waited until Zhuang Dongqing was completely asleep before speaking again to ask them what they had eaten that day.
After answering, Liu Fu suddenly realized, "It's my fault. I must not like eating vegetables. I ate too much vegetarian food at the farm. Young Master frowned when he saw a lot of green on the table."
Cen Yan realized something from these words, and then thought about it again. Given Bi Shuyu's personality, it was indeed impossible for her to be too good to a son born out of wedlock, especially one she conceived during her pregnancy.
Cen Yan then asked, "Is your relationship with your master very good?"
"I think he treats you more like a younger brother than a page."
When he was away, Zhuang Dongqing always ate with Liu Fu, and they never distinguished between master and servant.
But to say that he was so kind to all the servants, he never invited other servants from the inner courtyard to eat with him.
Furthermore, he had previously asked him for assets, saying that they would be placed in his name, and that Cen Yan should find the accountant to teach him. However, it was actually him and Liu Fu who did it, which shows that Zhuang Dongqing had already planned ahead and that he wanted to manage the accounts with Liu Fu.
Liu Fu would not miss the opportunity to speak well of Zhuang Dongqing: "Young Master is very good to me. When he left the Zhuang family, he even asked Madam for my household registration and indenture. If he didn't want me, he should have been able to ask for more money."
Cen Yan: "Has he always been this good to you?"
“It was fine before, but it’s been exceptionally good ever since he fell and hit his head,” Liu Fu said with a simple smile. “Although the young master always says that he can’t remember what he learned after hitting his head and is worried about it, I think the young master is just fine right now, and… whether the young master remembers or not, I will always follow him.”
Cen Yan knew that Zhuang Dongqing's personality had changed since she hit her head.
However, it didn't matter to him, because he was certain that the Zhuang Dongqing he knew now was the same one he had met that night.
Without saying another word, Cen Yan closed his eyes to rest.
This time, after Zhuang Dongqing woke up, he helped Cen Yan to the outhouse.
Feeling that Cen Yan had been inside for a while, Zhuang Dongqing was about to ask him a question when she suddenly realized something and shut up. She felt it was unrealistic, but then she thought that waiting for him to wake up wasn't entirely impossible.
Hmm.
Actually, he's a really nice person.
He treats his servants well and is also considerate of others.
When Cen Yan came out, Zhuang Dongqing reached out and pulled the blanket up for him again, afraid that he would catch a cold.
This cycle repeated itself all afternoon until nightfall.
The village was dimly lit, and the oil lamps in their houses were hard to find, let alone extra candles for lighting. Even if they were rich, they couldn't scrape together much money from each household.
Before dinner, Zhuang Dongqing stopped urging Cen Yan to drink water and started controlling his intake.
I'm afraid I won't be able to see when I get up at night and will fall.
This is highly probable.
The owner stir-fried chicken and cooked chicken porridge. Zhuang Dongqing ate a big bowl of rice. Fearing that the guards wouldn't be able to feed him, and since the porridge was piping hot, he finished eating and then took a bowl in. Then, remembering something, he took a small plate of stir-fried chicken.
Cen Yan couldn't eat the heavily oiled and salted stir-fried meat, so Zhuang Dongqing didn't force him and let him drink porridge instead.
Is it okay to eat the shredded chicken in the porridge?
"I'll give it a try."
Zhuang Dongqing and Cen Yan took a few bites before receiving a reply: "It's alright."
"Okay, then eat more. Try to pick out the shredded chicken first. Tell me when you're done eating the shredded chicken, and I'll get you some porridge."
Fearing that Cen Yan might not understand, Zhuang Dongqing explained, "It would be better for you to eat some meat now, it's nutritious."
"Try to eat as much as you can; anything you can eat will help you recover better."
After saying that, she added, "But don't force it. If you don't want to eat, don't force yourself, or you'll throw up later."
These were all strange and unusual principles that Cen Yan hadn't heard of before, but he didn't ask many questions and simply did as he was told.
After drinking two bowls of porridge, Zhuang Dongqing tried to scoop out as much shredded chicken as possible from each bowl. When he was halfway through the second bowl and couldn't eat any more meat, Zhuang Dongqing only let Cen Yan drink the porridge and didn't force him.
After watching Cen Yan finish eating, he seemed to have fully recovered. When he went out to put down the bowl, Zhuang Dongqing wanted to eat a few more bites.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fu handed him chopsticks and let him drink a bowl of chicken porridge as well.
Cen Yan went out for a while that night, and Liu Fu accompanied them. Someone had to carry a lamp.
Thankfully, it was only this one trip.
She went to bed early, and when she woke up the next day, Zhuang Dongqing got dressed and went to touch Cen Yan's forehead.
He placed his hand on Cen Yan, and Cen Yan woke up.
"Huh?"
Zhuang Dongqing was still a little confused and uncertain. She didn't see that Cen Yan had woken up, so she casually touched Cen Yan's neck a couple more times.
Cen Yan just looked at him.
Zhuang Dongqing touched his forehead again, looked down, and seeing that he was awake, she wasn't embarrassed and didn't bother to touch him.
"Don't move!"
Zhuang Dongqing was serious. He lowered his head and touched Cen Yan's forehead with his eyelids.
The moment they touched, Cen Yan felt as if the fluttering eyelashes were brushing against his heart, causing a strange itch.
The two looked at each other again, and Zhuang Dongqing's eyes lit up: "Your fever is gone! Your fever is gone!!"
"No, I have to call Liufu to come and take a look again."
Liu Fu rushed over, touched Cen Yan's forehead, and confirmed, "Indeed, the fever has subsided."
"Very good!!"
Zhuang Dongqing was pleased.
He laughed even more heartily than Cen Yan, the patient.
Now that the fever has subsided, there's no need for someone to watch over them constantly.
However, to prevent a recurrence, it's still important to rest as much as possible and drink plenty of water on this day.
Cen Yan got dressed and sat up. After washing up, Zhuang Dongqing changed the gauze on his wound. Hmm, it still needed to be disinfected and cleaned with strong liquor. Cen Yan didn't say anything. After the change, his forehead was covered in a layer of sweat, large beads.
Zhuang Dongqing silently twisted a handkerchief and gave it to him.
Cen Yan accepted it.
There's also good news: as the fever subsided and her strength returned slightly, Cen Yan was able to walk much more steadily.
The swelling on his calf had gone down after pinching it, but as for the fact that something still felt off, Zhuang Dongqing still attributed it to his weakened immune system. There was nothing he could do; the injury was too severe, and he had problems everywhere, so his body couldn't take care of itself.
Let's just keep raising it like this.
On the third day, Cen Yan could walk without assistance.
Zhuang Dongqing's appetite has also fully recovered, and she enjoys eating everything.
Two more days passed, and Cen Yan, whose bones ached from lying in bed, got up and walked around in the courtyard. His appetite improved, and he drank porridge for dinner as usual, fearing that it would be difficult to digest. However, he ate a meal with Zhuang Dongqing and the others for lunch.
"this."
"Come."
"This one."
At the dinner table, Zhuang Dongqing not only served herself, but also Liu Fu from time to time, serving meat, and only meat.
Cen Yan: "Eat your own food, Liu Fu has the skills."
Zhuang Dongqing said righteously, "Liu Fu is thin-skinned and reluctant to eat meat, but he is still growing. How can he not eat meat?"
Cen Yan looked at Liu Fu, who lowered his head in embarrassment but didn't refute it much, so it seemed to be true.
Just two days ago I said he was good to Luk Fook, and he really is.
Zhuang Dongqing misunderstood, thinking that Cen Yan disliked it. She picked up a piece of rabbit meat with her chopsticks and put it into Cen Yan's bowl, saying, "You should eat more meat too, so you can recover well!"
It's hard to say for sure whether this is a bribe.
Cen Yan looked at the bowl, and Zhuang Dongqing, as if afraid it wasn't enough, put several more pieces of meat into his bowl, all boneless and easy to chew.
"Hey, let's eat," Zhuang Dongqing said nervously.
After saying that, remembering Cen Yan's germaphobia, she quickly added, "If you think my chopsticks are dirty, just throw them away, it's nothing..."
Before he could finish speaking, Cen Yan ate a piece of meat and said calmly, "Eat."
Afterwards, every time Zhuang Dongqing finished serving Liu Fu, she would also give Cen Yan two more bites, to show that she treated everyone equally.
Actually, he should have said no, but for some inexplicable reason, Cen Yan didn't refuse.
By the seventh or eighth day of their stay, Cen Yan's leg was fully healed and the wound had begun to scab over. Zhuang Dongqing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I wonder what the situation is like outside."
Leading Cen Yan around the village, Zhuang Dongqing looked at the village entrance and said.
Cen Yan thought for a moment and said confidently, "Since no one came after us in the first two days, the matter should have been settled by now."
Zhuang Dongqing asked in surprise, "Really? Then we can go out?"
Cen Yan replied, "No rush."
"Stay a few more days."
Although she didn't understand, Zhuang Dongqing knew that Cen Yan must have his own reasons, so she nodded.
Cen Yan added, "When we return to the capital again, I'm afraid we'll receive the imperial decree to execute the deposed crown prince that you asked about."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded again and asked him, "Then can the guards go to town?"
Cen Yan thought he wanted to gather information.
Zhuang Dongqing then said, "Let's buy some more ingredients and things to improve our lives."
"..."
Cen Yan laughed.
That's something Zhuang Dongqing would say.
Since Zhuang Dongqing didn't care about the truth behind this incident, Cen Yan didn't bother to mention it either, as it would only upset him.
Zhuang Dongqing will still ask questions, but with a different focus.
"By the way, what exactly happened to you that day?" Zhuang Dongqing blinked. "Also, was the Sixth Prince with His Majesty?"
Zhuang Dongqing had assumed that Li Yang would also end up here, and for the first two days, she was worried about where to stay.
To everyone's surprise, there was none.
It's like the plot has changed.
It remains to be seen whether these changes will be good or bad for Li Yang's future.
Cen Yan did not hide anything from him: "Some of the remaining forces of the deposed crown prince forced the emperor to abdicate. Xu Si escorted His Majesty away first, while Hao San and I stayed behind to resist. Unexpectedly, they did not make any move at first, but instead set up many traps in the hunting grounds, fighting and retreating to lure us into their trap."
The fact that so many arrangements could be made at the hunting grounds suggests that it was not something that could be accomplished by just a few members of the Imperial Guard.
If Cen Yan's prediction is correct, there are still forces within the court that the deposed crown prince has not yet exposed.
but,
That's not something he should be worried about.
It was a scheme within a scheme, entirely within that person's calculations. Uprooting them completely after returning to court was also his consistent style of doing things.
But this time, he didn't want to get involved.
With his eyes lowered, Cen Yan didn't speak of these thoughts, but continued, "After my leg was bitten, I thought I was going to die, so I spurred my horse to escape. Hao San covered for me, but he died of poisoning on the way. However, the tiger tally of the fiefdom could not be taken by villains..."
If the personal guards of the fiefdom were to make a move, they would likely assume he harbored rebellious intentions.
"When I saw the body of the imperial guard floating on the river, I simply went into the water and swam for a while. The current was rapid, and I became disoriented and was carried away by the river... After that, I met you."
"As for Li Yang, she was with His Majesty when they parted ways."
Zhuang Dongqing: "Oh."
"I wonder how Liu Qi, Hao San, and Xu Si are doing now..."
Cen Yan, however, was relieved. "As long as they don't ambush us in the hunting grounds, we should be fine."
Zhuang Dongqing: "Hmm, I hope so!"
*
Fish was made for dinner, and Zhuang Dongqing enjoyed it immensely.
In the evening, Liu Fu boiled hot water for him to take a bath, and Zhuang Dongqing waited obediently.
After washing up, Liu Fu wrung his hair, and Zhuang Dongqing lay on the headboard, letting Liu Fu do as he pleased.
Smelling the clean soap scent that Zhuang Dongqing had brought into the room, Cen Yan was momentarily unsure whether they were fleeing a disaster or on vacation.
Looking quietly at Zhuang Dongqing, perhaps noticing his gaze, Zhuang Dongqing opened her eyes groggily and asked him, "What's wrong?"
"Does Your Highness also wish to take a bath?"
Before Cen Yan could speak, Zhuang Dongqing answered her own question, "No, you can't. The wounds on your body have just scabbed over."
"But wiping the body is fine, there's water too."
Cen Yan: "..."
I didn't have that idea.
But as soon as Zhuang Dongqing mentioned it, Cen Yan felt itchy all over.
Apart from Zhuang Dongqing wiping his body on the first day, he hadn't touched water since then, in order to recuperate.
Cen Yan stood up. "Okay, I'll go wipe it."
"Do you need any help?"
"No need."
"Okay." Zhuang Dongqing couldn't have been happier.
His cheerful tone made Cen Yan glance at him.
I cleaned it thoroughly, which took some effort, and because it was so dirty, I even took my hair out and washed it myself.
Having led troops and fought in battles, Cen Yan is capable of taking care of himself as long as he is mobile and his daily life is not a concern.
Back inside, Zhuang Dongqing, waiting for her hair to dry, had already closed her eyes.
He touched Zhuang Dongqing's hair, which was already dry, and then Cen Yan reached out and pushed him, "Wake up, don't stay here, go to bed."
After shoving him twice and seeing that he didn't respond, he gently patted Zhuang Dongqing's cheek.
Zhuang Dongqing opened her eyes groggily, her face full of confusion.
The next moment, Cen Yan understood why, because he heard Zhuang Dongqing's muffled voice say, "Why do you smell so good again?"
Cen Yan paused.
Before he could react, Zhuang Dongqing, like a puppy, pressed her nose against his palm, her shallow breaths spraying onto his skin, sniffing all the way to his pulse, and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, why does it feel like it's on your skin?"
"That's so strange."
She took another deep breath, her nose pressed against Cen Yan's wrist, and her lips brushed against his.
Cen Yan's senses became extremely fragmented.
Shocked, he quickly realized what was happening—
Master Zhao had not given Zhuang Dongqing acupuncture for seven or eight days. The two had been spending every day together... so the toxins had been drawn out again.
He knew that he should push Zhuang Dongqing away now.
but,
From my palm to my wrist, the places where Zhuang Dongqing had touched me... felt a tingling sensation.
Cen Yan's throat bobbed, his mouth inexplicably dry.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com