Chapter 250 General Xiao is here too? What a spoilsport!
"Doctor Wang said that one must be careful when decocting medicine for it to be effective!"
She rolled up her sleeves, looking serious, and wouldn't let anyone else interfere.
The result was predictable.
How could a pampered young lady who has never been exposed to the cold and hardship of life know how to control the heat?
In a short while, the medicine pot overflowed, extinguishing the fire in the stove and leaving a mess.
She frantically tried to put out the fire, and a few strands of her hair were accidentally touched by sparks, giving off a slightly burnt smell. Her little face was covered in soot, making her look like a little cat with a dirty face.
at last.
She carried a bowl of dark, pungent medicine, her face streaked with black and white, her eyes red but trying to appear calm as she walked up to Gu Xian.
Gu Xian was stunned.
He looked at her disheveled hair, dirty face, and eyes full of expectation and a little grievance, and a soft spot in his heart was struck hard.
A sour, hot sensation welled up in his nose, and he quickly lowered his eyelashes to hide the moisture in his eyes.
When he looked up again, he had put on his usual lazy smile with a hint of mockery. His voice was weak, but it was full of laughter: "Tsk... Where did this little kitten come from? Did it think I was making ink by grinding this bitter medicine?"
Yongfu was taken aback at first, then realized what he looked like and stamped his foot in embarrassment: "Brother Gu! How could you make fun of someone who is making medicine for you..."
"Yes, yes, yes," Gu Xian shook his head with a smile, his tone filled with indulgence that he himself did not realize. "Your Highness is of noble birth, and you personally prepared medicine for me. Gu Xian is flattered."
He took the medicine bowl, and his fingertips inadvertently touched her slightly hot fingertips, causing them both to tremble slightly.
He looked down at the dark brown medicine in the bowl, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
This bowl of medicine may not be effective, but the sincerity it contains is more precious than any elixir, and... it pains him even more.
Yongfu watched intently as Gu Xian drank every last drop of his suspiciously colored, pungent-smelling medicine. A surge of excitement and joy welled up in his heart, as if a feather had gently brushed against it.
Despite his serious illness, he still drank the medicine she had personally prepared without hesitation... This thoughtfulness and appreciation melted her heart completely, and her gaze towards him was overflowing with affection.
To hide her pounding heart, she quickly lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, and quietly, with a hint of excitement, changed the subject: "Brother Gu... do you... do you like horseback riding?"
Gu Xian handed the empty bowl to Er Zhong beside him, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and upon hearing this, a joyful, nostalgic glow appeared on his pale face: "I like it. My favorite thing used to be riding a horse and feeling the wind brushing past my ears."
His voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of distant melancholy.
Yongfu's eyes immediately lit up, and he said excitedly, "I knew it! My brother was supposed to hold the autumn hunting banquet at the Xishan Garden a month ago, but it was postponed for some reason. But now it's set for three days from now!"
She leaned forward, looking at him expectantly: "When the time comes, I want Sister Lu to teach me how to ride a horse! Brother Gu, will you... will you come to see me?"
As soon as she spoke, she immediately remembered his sickly appearance, hurriedly waved her hand, and added urgently, "Ah! But... if you're not feeling well, please don't push yourself! Just rest in the yard, your health is the most important thing!"
Looking into her bright, hopeful eyes, which were instantly replaced by worry, Gu Xian smiled faintly and said softly, "How could Gu Xian be absent from Your Highness's invitation?"
He took a slight breath and promised, "Three days from now, at the West Mountain Garden... I will definitely go. I must see with my own eyes Your Highness's dashing figure on horseback."
Upon hearing this, Yongfu was taken aback at first, then a radiant smile bloomed on her face, and her heart was filled with endless sweetness, as if a honey pot had been overturned.
She nodded vigorously: "Yes! It's settled then!"
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dancing on her bright smile and dispelling the chill of late autumn.
Three days later, at the Western Hills Garden.
The autumn air was crisp and clear, the grasslands were turning slightly yellow, and banners fluttered in the royal gardens.
Young men and women from prominent families in the capital arrived according to etiquette, led by their elders.
The scene was one of elegantly dressed people, smiling and chatting.
But anyone with discerning eyes knows that beneath this harmonious scene lies the desire of various families to form alliances through marriage.
Of those women who were dressed up more beautifully than spring flowers, eight out of ten dared not even touch a saddle.
Their minds were not on riding and archery at all. They were just taking advantage of this rare opportunity to be accompanied by their mothers or nannies to openly and secretly evaluate the young men riding on the field, to see which one had a better family background, which one was more handsome, and which one had won the favor of the emperor.
The ladies who brought their daughters were even more discerning. While exchanging pleasantries with acquaintances, they secretly weighed the eligible young men and women in the room, constantly calculating which family's son was a good match for their daughter and which family's daughter was a suitable daughter-in-law.
Lu Zhaoruo and Xiao Yeming arrived together. One was as elegant as an orchid, and the other as aloof as bamboo. As they walked side by side, they attracted many eyes to follow them.
Not long after, a considerable commotion suddenly broke out on the sidelines.
A magnificent palanquin, surrounded by a retinue of servants, slowly approached, and seated atop it sat the Lady of Yunxiu.
She was dressed in dazzling jewelry today, and her entourage far exceeded her rank. However, the noble ladies of higher status around her all stepped forward to pay their respects, and their attitude was quite respectful.
Lu Zhaoruo naturally wanted to avoid it.
She slowly walked towards the shade of a tree a little further away from the crowd, seeking a moment of peace.
However, what one could see was a person leaning casually on a soft chair, with a relaxed posture, as if completely shutting out the surrounding hustle and bustle.
It was Meng Xi.
He still looked as listless as ever, but when Lu Zhaoruo's figure came into view, he seemed to sense something, lazily raised his eyes, and accurately caught her gaze.
A faint, ambiguous smile curved his lips as he stood up and strolled slowly toward her.
“Madam Lu,” Meng Xi stopped in front of her, his voice carrying his usual languidness, but his eyes were like hooks, looking straight into her eyes, “Today’s autumn hunting banquet is unbearably vulgar and noisy. Only by seeing you can I feel that this trip was not in vain.”
His words were undisguisedly affectionate. Lu Zhaoruo frowned slightly, about to speak, when a cold voice rang out from beside her: "Young Master Meng, be careful what you say."
Xiao Yeming had stepped forward unnoticed, his figure as straight as a sword, positioned precisely between Lu Zhaoruo and Meng Xi.
His expression was calm, but his gaze was sharp as a knife as he looked at Meng Xi.
Meng Xi raised an eyebrow, showing no fear. Instead, he chuckled lightly, his tone tinged with a hint of provocative regret: "General Xiao is here too? How... a spoilsport."
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