Chapter 40 Qingyun "Good boy, drink your medicine first."
The lychee iced wine that Jiang Mingxue wanted was something she had brought back for him from her last trip; it was a signature chilled dessert from a restaurant.
The restaurant didn't close until midnight. Rong Chengzhou sat in the passenger seat, placed his order in advance in the car, and picked it up directly when he passed by the restaurant to take it home.
Jingyunhui is not far from Songyunting. When Rong Chengzhou got home, it was not yet eleven o'clock, and Jiang Mingxue was still awake.
She tossed and turned in bed, thinking that it must be because there were fewer patients today and she wasn't tired enough that she couldn't fall asleep.
When the apartment door rang, she was momentarily stunned, thinking it was just a hallucination from her hypnotic state.
Until the bedroom door was pushed open, a familiar figure walked in under the moonlight, his footsteps slowly rolling across the carpet, and a slight smell of alcohol wafted into the bedroom.
Jiang Mingxue blinked, propped herself up on her arms, and spoke with a hint of softness in her voice, "You're back?"
Rong Chengzhou remained indifferent and uttered a short, monotone sound: "Hmm."
As he slowly approached, the smell of alcohol grew stronger, mixed with a light cedar scent that entered the nostrils, but it didn't feel pungent.
The man walked around the foot of the bed to her side, gently placing his dry, warm palm over her eyes, his deep voice pressing down:
"Close your eyes."
Jiang Mingxue did as instructed. The next second, the bedroom light was turned on, and the bright, glaring light was blocked from the outside of his palm, with only a few rays sneaking in through the gaps.
She closed her eyes and adjusted for a while before Rong Chengzhou slowly moved his hand away.
He was carrying a bottle of lychee-flavored iced wine, but he didn't hand it to her.
"Your period is coming soon, can you eat something cold?"
Jiang Mingxue was taken aback: "How did you know?"
Rong Chengzhou's voice was flat and emotionless; though he was speaking words of concern, his eyes were as cold and deep as if they were immersed in ink.
"We've been living here for over three weeks now."
It took Jiang Mingxue a few seconds to understand how he deduced this.
Her cheeks flushed red: "It's okay, I'll come in a couple of days, I won't have a stomachache."
When Rong Chengzhou returned, her period had just ended last month. She hadn't been avoiding cold things for the past few weeks, and there were no signs of changing sanitary napkins in the bathroom, so it was possible to deduce that...
She had seen people who meticulously remembered their girlfriends' menstrual cycles, but this was the first time she had ever seen someone working backwards from their girlfriend's cycle.
Fortunately, her menstrual cycle is regular, otherwise this method would not have worked for her at all.
Upon hearing this, Rong Chengzhou handed her the lychee ice wine.
"Thank you." Jiang Mingxue took it, put on her shoes, got out of bed, sat on the sofa in the bedroom, and unwrapped the package.
"I thought you weren't coming back tonight."
Rong Chengzhou took out a change of clothes from the closet, revealing only his clearly defined and taut jawline: "There's nowhere to sleep outside."
Jiang Mingxue said "oh," took a spoon, bent down, scooped out the pit from a lychee, and put it into her mouth.
I thought I had brought her lychee ice wine on purpose.
Rong Chengzhou had already gone into the bathroom to shower, and the smell of alcohol in the room was quickly dissipated. Jiang Mingxue sat on the sofa eating cool and refreshing lychee ice wine, mixed with osmanthus and glutinous rice balls. It was sweet and sour, and she was very satisfied.
After slowly finishing his meal, he cleaned up the packaging and threw it in the trash can. He then went to the second bedroom to brush his teeth again, but Rong Chengzhou still hadn't come out of the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Rong Chengzhou washed for a full twenty minutes and brushed his teeth twice before he could wash away the smell of alcohol.
I couldn't figure out the problem after riding a horse all day, I couldn't figure it out after drinking all night, I still couldn't figure it out on the way home after buying lychee ice wine, and I still couldn't figure it out after taking a half-hour shower.
Rong Chengzhou stopped thinking about it.
Some questions are rhetorical, and spending so much time thinking about them is simply to get a different answer.
Even though he knew better than anyone else that the possibility of a different answer was almost zero.
He should have figured this out back in Haining: why would a woman from such a distinguished family, with outstanding background, looks, and talent, choose a soldier like him who couldn't go home for years?
It turns out that all she wanted was for him not to come home, so she wouldn't have to fulfill her marital obligations with him. She didn't even ask him why he didn't come home tonight.
So he had originally planned to stay out all night, but he granted her wish.
But even alcohol couldn't numb his nerves, and he still couldn't bear to leave her alone at home.
Rong Chengzhou stood in front of the washbasin, a soft gurgling sound escaping his throat as if something was blocking his throat, and he squeezed it out muffledly.
It was a mixture of inexplicable helplessness and a sense of relief that had been building up for a long time.
He slowly turned off the tap, wiped the water droplets off his face, and then walked out of the bathroom.
Jiang Mingxue had already lay back down on the bed, with half of her head tucked under the covers, only her eyes showing.
I just ate a big bowl of lychee iced wine, and I'm a little cold, so I'm covered up tightly with the blanket.
Rong Chengzhou turned off the lights and went to bed, but he didn't hug her as usual.
Instead, he lay flat on his back in his spot, covered himself with the blanket, and kept a distance of about half a person's width between them.
Jiang Mingxue wasn't stupid; she could sense his coldness today, which was even more pronounced than when they first reunited in Haining.
She turned her body ninety degrees to the left, pulled the blanket up to her ears, and carefully poked Rong Chengzhou's arm with her finger.
The man tilted his head and asked in a calm voice, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Mingxue lay on her side facing him and said softly, "Rong Chengzhou, may I ask why you were drinking tonight?"
She remembered him saying that he rarely drank alcohol.
She didn't ask earlier because she didn't want to interfere too much in his affairs, but he seemed unhappy, so she should show concern out of both kindness and reason.
The man, hidden in the darkness, paused for a moment, then said calmly after a few seconds, "It's nothing, just a gathering of friends, I didn't want to spoil the fun."
Jiang Mingxue didn't know that he was actually the one who drank himself into oblivion for two and a half days.
With her clear eyes wide open, she said, "But you don't seem very happy."
The man's eyebrows twitched slightly, and instead of answering, he asked, "Does my happiness matter to you?"
He rarely spoke in this tone, and Jiang Mingxue was momentarily speechless before replying, "You are my husband, of course you are important."
The man's eyes were fixed on her in the darkness, taking in the two seconds of hesitation she had just experienced.
She hesitated for a long time before finally uttering those sweet words under his persistent questioning.
A very low sigh seemed to float in the air. Rong Chengzhou didn't answer her anymore, but instead raised his hand and took her cold hand into his palm: "Eat less cold food, it's not good for your health."
Jiang Mingxue sensed that he was unwilling to talk about it, so she didn't press him further.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, the joy she felt when she ate the lychee ice wine vanished in an instant, and her mood inexplicably plummeted.
She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to think for half a minute.
The blanket billowed slightly as she propped herself up and moved closer to him, her free right hand reaching around his chest, her slender arm only reaching his elbow.
Her hands, still slightly cool from eating iced beer, gripped his arm tightly. She rested her chin on his firm chest and asked earnestly:
"Does this hug make you happier?"
Rong Chengzhou suddenly stopped.
Her hands were icy cold, and even her arms were a little chilly, but the moment she hugged him, the fog that had been building up in her chest all day seemed to dissipate completely.
At that very moment, he suddenly understood.
Regardless of her impure motives, or whether she misunderstood or deceived him, she ultimately chose him because of this matter, and she did not treat him lightly because of it.
Even if she doesn't want to have a relationship with him, it doesn't matter. As she said, they are husband and wife, and at least he has a lifetime to let her slowly accept everything about him.
The anger that had been building up in his chest dissipated instantly. He reached out and hugged her back, holding her in his arms as usual.
He placed a light kiss on her hair and whispered, "I'm sorry, it was my fault today."
His embrace was a bit stronger than usual, and Jiang Mingxue was a little breathless from his hold, but she didn't say anything to remind him, nor did she break free from his arms.
She simply hugged him tightly and whispered, "If you're unhappy, don't apologize to me."
Rong Chengzhou slowly closed his eyes: "Thank you, I will adjust."
Jiang Mingxue: "Okay, good night."
--
The next day, Rong Chengzhou personally drove her to work and made a special promise to pick her up that evening.
Jiang Mingxue knew he had adjusted, and felt much relieved.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
She stood at the entrance of the clinic, watching the black SUV drive away before turning around and going inside.
There were many patients today, and she had to borrow an apprentice from another doctor to keep the hospital busy.
During this time, Yan Ze came up to her and said, "Dr. Jiang, there's something I want to tell you."
Jiang Mingxue was giving a patient an acupuncture treatment when she took a break to reply to him: "Aze, let's talk about this later. Could you bring me the moxa sticks first?"
Yan Ze had no choice but to go back, get the moxa stick, light it, and hand it to her.
Jiang Mingxue didn't finish her work until evening, and went to the rest room to change out of her medical gown.
Yan Ze stood at the door of the lounge waiting for her to come out, and then said, "Dr. Jiang, I have something to tell you."
Jiang Mingxue changed her clothes and came out. The two sat on chairs in the waiting room: "Okay, go ahead."
She looked at him quietly, waiting for him to speak.
Yan Ze looked down into her clear eyes, and suddenly felt as if something was blocking his throat, making it difficult for him to speak.
Jiang Mingxue smiled and asked, "Didn't you have something to tell me? Why aren't you saying it now?"
"I..." Yan Ze opened his mouth, and for the first time, a look of panic, helplessness, and hesitation appeared on his usually indifferent face.
How was he going to explain all that he had been hiding to her?
Jiang Mingxue glanced down and saw Yan Ze's wrist, where a section of white bandage was visible outside his long sleeve. She frowned and asked, "Ze, what happened to your hand?"
A flicker of panic crossed Yan Ze's face as he withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back: "It's nothing, I just accidentally burned myself while cooking at home."
Jiang Mingxue didn't believe him and stared into his eyes, asking, "Really?"
Yan Ze smiled nonchalantly: "Of course it's true, why would I lie to you?"
How could I not lie to her?
Hasn't he lied to her enough times?
It felt like a demon was screaming in his mind, constantly tearing at his nerves, making him momentarily dazed.
He had tried to gain a little pity from her in Haining by feigning illness, but now he was unwilling to let her know everything he had done for her.
He didn't want her to know that he had cut his wrists five times in exchange for seven days to see her with Ning Guohui.
He was not afraid to show his darkest side to anyone, except Jiang Mingxue. He was unwilling to let her know that the person she had been carefully teaching for the past two years was actually a lunatic.
Now it's the eighth day, and it's time for him to leave. He must say goodbye to her in person and tell her everything.
But when it came to the moment of truth, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Okay." Jiang Mingxue withdrew her gaze, no longer pressing him. "What were you trying to say to me just now?"
Yan Ze clenched his fists on the table, his thin lips moving as he was about to reveal the truth he had been hiding.
Suddenly, a series of heavy and hurried footsteps came from the doorway. Jiang Mingxue looked in the direction of the sound and saw several men in black wearing sunglasses step into the clinic one after another and stand in a row in the waiting room.
The man in the lead, wearing a Zhongshan suit, bowed slightly in their direction, but his tone was forceful, almost commanding:
"Young Master, it's time to go home."
Jiang Mingxue frowned as she looked at the group of people in the room, then slowly turned her gaze to Yan Ze and asked in a calm tone:
"Aze, is this all you wanted to tell me?"
Yan Ze's face turned deathly pale, almost transparent. He shook his head frantically, "Dr. Jiang, I didn't mean to lie to you. I have no family, and I don't want to go back with them. I just have no choice..."
He turned his head, his pleading expression instantly turning sinister, his low, cold voice chilling and piercing, like falling into an ice cellar: "Who sent you here!"
The middle-aged man at the head of the group bowed slightly, but there was no hint of apology in his voice: "I'm sorry, young master, it was Mr. Ning who was worried that you might forget to come home, so he specifically instructed us to come."
Yan Ze scoffed coldly, "It's Ning Guohui again."
The middle-aged man continued, "Young master, please don't make things difficult for us."
Jiang Mingxue's calm gaze passed over him and looked at the several men in black behind him, each of them strong and muscular, holding sticks in their hands.
The injury on Yan Ze's wrist was most likely caused by them.
Although she was unhappy about being deceived, she couldn't bear to push him into the fire because they were master and disciple after all.
"He cannot go with you."
During the argument, a gentle female voice suddenly rang out.
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes with displeasure, his expression carrying a warning: "Dr. Jiang, what do you mean by this? He's the eldest son of the Ning family. Does he need your permission to come home?"
Jiang Mingxue remained calm throughout, showing no sign of being intimidated by his threats.
She slowly stood up and solemnly said, word by word, "This is Yuanhe Medical Clinic, not your Ning family. I have no right to interfere in your family's private affairs, but you can't just take away the apprentices of my Yuanhe Medical Clinic as you please."
"unless--"
After a brief two-second pause, she calmly lifted her eyelids, her usually gentle eyes suddenly turning icy, causing several tall, burly men to take a step back.
"The Ning family wants to oppose my Jiang family."
Upon hearing this, Yan Ze's eyes flashed with obvious surprise and a hint of joy.
The middle-aged man was a man who had seen the world and did not lose his composure.
I forced myself to look her in the eye for a few seconds, but eventually gave in first.
Although the Jiang family is a medical family with average power, their deep roots in Beicheng, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, are well-known. In particular, the Jiang family has a well-known figure in the business world, the young CEO Jiang, and the maternal grandfather of Jiang's daughter-in-law, Shi Yunshu, is from the Qi family, the richest family in Beicheng.
With the Rong and Ren families backing her up, Jiang Mingxue may seem weak and easily bullied, but any one of the powerful forces behind her is something the Ning family would find difficult to contend with. Even if Old Master Ning himself came, he would have to give her some face, let alone a servant like him.
The middle-aged man, knowing when to stop, smiled and said, "In that case, we won't bother Dr. Jiang any longer. Young Master, you can keep that in mind."
A group of people left the clinic together, and the waiting room returned to tranquility.
Yan Ze suppressed his inner joy: "Dr. Jiang, you..."
Jiang Mingxue raised her hand to interrupt him, her voice still cold and distant: "I don't want to keep you here, but you still have unfinished business at the clinic to hand over, and you haven't explained everything you've been hiding to me. You should stay at the clinic and not go out for now, or even I won't be able to protect you."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Yan Ze's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and said in a deep voice:
“I understand, I can tell you everything now.”
Jiang Mingxue was about to nod when her gaze suddenly fell on the black SUV that was slowly stopping at the entrance of the clinic.
Her slightly furrowed brows unconsciously smoothed out; she stopped talking, picked up her handbag, and walked out, her voice gentler than before.
"Maybe next time, Chengzhou is coming to pick me up."
As she spoke, she strode out of the clinic with light steps.
Yan Ze turned to look at her back and suddenly felt that Dr. Jiang, whom he had known for two years, seemed to be different in some way.
--
Outside the clinic, Jiang Mingxue got into Rong Chengzhou's car and went home with him.
When Rong Chengzhou arrived, the men in black had just left the clinic. He watched their retreating figures and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What were those people doing at the clinic?" he asked from the driver's seat.
Jiang Mingxue leaned back in the passenger seat and sighed, "Don't mention it. They came looking for Yan Ze. I haven't figured it out yet. I'll think about it when I get back and then tell you."
Rong Chengzhou had already guessed the general idea: "Will these people cause you harm?"
Jiang Mingxue shook her head: "No, that won't happen. Don't worry, our family still has some status." Rong Chengzhou gave a faint hum, his gaze passing through the car window and lingering for a couple of seconds on the young man sitting with his back to him in the clinic.
Then he slowly started the car: "Let's talk about it when we get home."
After returning to Songyunting for a meal and a bath, Jiang Mingxue dried her hair and went to the kitchen to brew the medicine.
Rong Chengzhou hasn't eaten for two days, missing four meals in total, so he has to make up for it tonight.
Although he didn't know what had happened to him yesterday, Rong Chengzhou adjusted very quickly, returning to his previous attitude in just one day.
It seems that even the most cold-blooded man needs a hug.
Jiang Mingxue thought with relief.
After the medicine cooled down, I carried it to the living room and said, "Here, this is today's medicine."
Rong Chengzhou didn't take it, his gaze fixed on the dark "tonic" in her hand, wondering how many pieces of "ephemeral goat's nest" were in it.
He slowly shifted his gaze, gently lifted his eyelids, and looked directly at her: "Are you sure you still want me to drink it?"
Jiang Mingxue didn't catch the other meaning in his words and replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, you haven't taken your medicine for two days, you can't miss it today."
The man sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, his lips gradually pursing into a straight line:
"What if I said I wasn't sick?"
"Mmm, I know you're not sick."
People who are sick will not admit they are sick, especially stubborn men.
Jiang Mingxue moved the bowl towards him and agreed with him.
The voice softened, as if coaxing a child:
"Sweetie, drink your medicine first."
Rong Chengzhou: "......"
A long, drawn-out sigh of helplessness escaped from his throat.
After a long silence, he took the medicine bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
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