Chapter 2
Lin Qingyu didn't fully understand what Lu Wancheng said, but he got the general meaning. Lu Wancheng could talk about the fact that he would not live long so lightly. Is he really not afraid of death?
After all, Lu Wancheng is a sick person, and holding on until now is already his limit. He lay down on the bed and said, "Beauty, you..."
Lin Qingyu said sternly: "What are you yelling about?"
Because of her appearance, Lin Qingyu was often harassed by lechers when she was studying abroad. For those who always call him "beauty" or "baby", he just wants to take out the poison he personally mixed to force them to shut up and stuff it into their mouths.
However, although Lu Wancheng called him a beauty, he did not stare at him like a frivolous person, so he was not hopeless.
"You're so fierce. You don't even like it when someone praises you for being pretty?" Lu Wancheng said with his eyes closed. "Okay, I'm going to rest now. Please do as you please."
After all the trouble, it was already past midnight. There was really nothing else to do next except go to bed.
Just now, the maid had helped Lu Wancheng take off his wedding dress and wiped his hands and face. Lin Qingyu was still wearing the wedding dress and crown she wore at her wedding, with a flower ornament painted between her eyebrows and her makeup not washed off.
Yes, he wore makeup today. Although at his strong request, the matchmaker only drew his eyebrows and applied lipstick for him, his face was already cold and beautiful, and after using these, his lips became as red as flames and his eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as paintings. This appearance made others praise it, but it also made him shudder with fear. It seemed that what was pressed between his lips was not rouge paper, but a pair of shackles that imprisoned him. It was the entire Nan'an Marquis Mansion and... the royal family that put these shackles on him.
He will remember this grudge.
He also remembered the bridesmaid who insisted that he use ointment, which made him feel uncomfortable somewhere.
As for his unsuspecting "husband"...if what Lu Wancheng said was true, and they could really spend the past six months in peace, and they were husband and wife in name only, not in reality, he could barely forget about bearing grudge against Lu Wancheng.
He is just a dying man, why should I bother with him too much?
Of course, there couldn't be two beds in the bridal chamber. The only one was occupied by Lu Wancheng, so Lin Qingyu decided to spend the night on the soft couch.
It was not long after the Lantern Festival and the sun was not yet warm. I would definitely catch a cold if I slept alone on a soft bed. Lin Qingyu saw that there was an extra quilt on the wedding bed. She thought that the servants of the Marquis' Mansion were afraid that their precious young Marquis would not be used to sleeping in the same bed with others, so they prepared it specially.
In this case, Lin Qingyu did not want to be polite.
Lu Wancheng still couldn't escape the torture of illness even in his sleep, with a frown on his face. Lin Qingyu took the quilt very gently, but Lu Wancheng still woke up.
When Lu Wancheng opened his eyes, Lin Qingyu was bending over, and the hair hanging down from her chest fell on his cheek, which was a little itchy.
The two looked at each other. Without waiting for Lu Wancheng to speak, Lin Qingyu said first: "I'll get the quilt."
Lu Wancheng smiled and said, "You take it."
Lin Qingyu carried the quilt to the soft couch and spread it out. Just as she was about to lie down, Lu Wancheng asked, "Don't you take off your clothes before you sleep?"
Although the wedding dress worn by the man's wife is not as complicated and cumbersome as the woman's wedding dress, it is also a loose garment with a cinched waist, three layers inside and three layers outside. It is far less convenient and comfortable to wear than ordinary clothes. Lu Wancheng felt tired for him just by looking at him.
Lin Qingyu said calmly: "Of course I have to take it off."
He turned his back to Lu Wancheng and raised his hand to unbutton the outermost layer of buttons. The coat fell from his shoulders and slid to his ankles. He took off his clothes one by one, and after a while he was left with only his pajamas, just like Lu Wancheng.
After taking off his clothes, he turned around and looked at the wedding bed - good, Lu Wancheng fell asleep again.
The next morning.
Lin Qingyu had always been a light sleeper, and Lu Wancheng woke him up with a light cough. On the wedding bed, Lu Wancheng lay on his side, his profile mostly hidden by his scattered black hair. His sleeping posture was casual and not solemn at all.
Lin Qingyu had just stood up from the couch when there was a knock on the door: "Young Master, it's time to get up. According to the rules, you have to serve tea to the Marquis and his wife later."
Lu Wancheng showed no signs of waking up. Lin Qingyu opened the door and let them in. The maid walking in front was Fengqin, who served Lu Wancheng personally. She entered the house carrying hot water, and when she saw the quilt on the couch, her expression changed for a moment.
Half of the maids came to help Lin Qingyu wash and dress, and the other half went to wake Lu Wancheng up. Lin Qingyu changed into a snow-blue robe and tied up his long hair with a jade crown. The ordinary man's attire still looked very graceful on him, but compared with the wedding yesterday, it was less bright and more dignified.
Fengqin also wanted to put makeup on Lin Qingyu. Lin Qingyu said: "No need."
Feng Qin said, "But I saw that Shaojun had put on makeup yesterday."
"You also said that was yesterday." Lin Qingyu glanced at the dressing table and said irritably, "Take these down."
Lin Qingyu had already dressed, but Lu Wancheng was still asleep. Several maids gathered around the bed, calling him softly:
"Master, you and Young Master should go and serve tea to the Master and Madam."
"Master..."
Lu Wancheng stood motionless, his expression peaceful, his hands clasped in front of his chest, like a Buddha statue.
Feng Qin asked anxiously, "Was the young marquis fainted again?"
Lin Qingyu walked forward, observed Lu Wancheng carefully, and said: "No, he just fell into a deep sleep, and he can be woken up by forcing him."
Fengqin didn't understand and asked, "Shaojun, what does it mean to 'forcefully call'?"
"Speak louder, or lift his blanket." Lin Qingyu said, "But don't forget, he is a patient. Unless you want his condition to get worse, don't disturb his rest."
Feng Qin said in embarrassment: "But, the Marquis and his wife..."
Lin Qingyu interrupted: "He is so sick, and you still want him to serve tea? Rules are more important than his life?" In Dayu, usually the bride and husband serve tea to their parents on the day after the wedding. If Lu Wancheng doesn't go, then he probably doesn't have to go either.
Before the empress granted the marriage, Nan'an Marquis' wife Liang had sent someone to propose marriage. After he decisively rejected her, he went to ask the empress for help, thus putting the Lin family in a situation where they had to marry or die. Not to mention treating the Nan'an couple as his "parents-in-law", he didn't even want to pay any attention to them.
Fengqin didn't dare to make the decision, so she sent a maid to report to Liang. Not long after, the nanny beside Liang came back: "Madam said that it is rare for the young master to have a good night's sleep, so let him continue to sleep. It is enough for her and the marquis to drink the tea for the young master alone."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "Madam really loves her son as much as her life."
Once you are in the marquis' mansion, you have no choice. No matter how reluctant Lin Qingyu was, he had no choice but to put on his snow cape and follow the nanny to the front hall.
Along the way, the nanny was nagging about the rules of the inner house of the Marquis' Mansion, but Lin Qingyu thought she was just farting and automatically blocked out her voice. Yesterday he was wearing a veil and could only see a few steps ahead. Today he was able to see the true appearance of Nan'an Marquis Mansion. Although he had never been to the palace, he had accompanied his father to the prince's palace to see patients. The magnificence of the Nan'an Marquis's Mansion is not inferior to that of a royal palace, with carved beams and painted rafters, and an elegant and magnificent appearance. It can be seen that the Nan'an Marquis's status in the court is extraordinary.
In the front hall, Marquis Nan'an and Liang were sitting in the seats of honor. The Marquis of Nan'an was nearly forty years old, taciturn, with a resolute face; Liang still had her charm, with kind eyes and gentle features, and looked like a noble lady who was easy to get along with.
Lin Qingyu took the tea handed to him by the nanny and couldn't help but imagine himself poisoning the tea.
Any poison could be used to make them have a taste of losing their freedom.
The two drank Lin Qingyu's tea. Liang smiled and said, "Qingyu, did you sleep well last night?"
Lin Qingyu came back to his senses and said, "It's okay."
"From now on, the Marquis' Mansion will be your home. If there is anything you are not used to, just tell mother."
"Thank you ma'am."
The nanny said angrily, "Why do you still call me 'Madam'? You should call me 'Mother' like the young marquis."
This madam is really persistent about changing her words. Let's just call her [Madam Who Changes Her Words]. If she wanted to scream so much, why didn't she scream herself?
Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes and said, "It's a habit, and it's hard to change my words for the time being. I hope the Marquis and his wife will forgive me."
Marquis Nan'an looked displeased. Liang said generously: "It's okay, there is a long way to go. I always forgot to change my words in the first few months after I married into the Marquis' Mansion."
Nan'an Hou said: "You should get used to it as soon as possible, so as not to make a fool of yourself."
Lin Qingyu thought about his parents and said with forbearance: "Yes."
Liang took another sip of tea and said, "Your birth date and horoscope are a match made in heaven for Wan Cheng. The Marquis and I also saw this in our eyes and asked His Majesty to grant us the marriage. Qingyu, you should always put your husband first in everything you do, and wait on him by his sickbed, so that Wan Cheng can enjoy more of your blessings."
Lin Qingyu nodded woodenly.
Nan'an Hou said: "Speaking of which, you are the son of the chief judge of the Imperial Hospital, and you have a famous teacher, so your medical skills must be good."
Lin Qingyu felt a tightness in his chest.
Yes, he is a good doctor, he could have been saving lives and healing the wounded, but now he is trapped in the back house and has to be a law-abiding male wife. The culprit continued, "Although Wan Cheng's health is being taken care of by Doctor Zhang, you can also follow him to take care of him. Don't waste your medical skills."
Marquis Nan'an also served as the Minister of Revenue. As there were many things to do in the court, he said a few words and then left. Liang gave Lin Qingyu a jade bracelet and said, "This is the dowry I brought from my mother's home. I wanted to give it to Wan Cheng's legitimate son in the future. But now..." Liang paused and smiled again, "Forget it, you can keep it."
Lin Qingyu would definitely understand Liang's intention. She went to so much trouble to find a male wife for Lu Wancheng, yet she still didn't forget to despise the male wife for not being able to have children.
As expected of them, they are from the Nan'an Marquis' Mansion, each one is more annoying than the other, and only Lu Wancheng is barely worthy of attention.
Lin Qingyu returned to Lanfeng Pavilion where Lu Wancheng lived, and casually threw the brocade box containing the jade bracelet to Fengqin. Feng Qin said: "Young Master is back, but Young Marquis hasn't woken up yet. How long has he slept? Is he really okay..."
Lin Qingyu paused as he was heading towards the study: "I'll go take a look."
What he wanted to see was not Lu Wancheng, but Lu Wancheng's pulse, which was rarely seen in a century. He had a rough idea of Doctor Zhang, who had examined Lu Wancheng's pulse last night. He was indeed a famous doctor with real talent and knowledge. It would be a pity not to see the pulse condition that even Doctor Zhang has never seen before.
Lin Qingyu walked into the inner room and found that Lu Wancheng was still asleep, even maintaining the same posture as before he left. He stood beside the bed, looking down at Lu Wancheng. It must be said that Lu Wancheng doesn't look much like his parents, and his appearance is much more delicate than that of Nan'an Marquis and his wife.
Lin Qingyu rolled up his sleeves and extended his fingertips. Before he could touch Lu Wancheng's pulse, his hand was grabbed unexpectedly, and a casual voice rang out: "What are you trying to do, Lin Qingyu?"
Lin Qingyu's hands froze: "Let go." Given Lu Wancheng's body, he was afraid that if he struggled a little harder, Lu Wancheng would faint.
Lu Wancheng let go of his hand, closed his eyes, but the corners of his lips curved up: "Don't get excited, I don't like men, you don't have to be on guard against me."
Lin Qingyu opened her eyes wide: "You don't like men?"
"Yeah. I remember that although homosexuality is popular in Dayu, not everyone is gay." Lu Wancheng opened his eyes and said, "What about you? Are you?"
Lin Qingyu choked.
It has been a month since he was granted marriage, and no one has ever asked him this question. She was going to marry a man anyway, so what difference did it make whether he was a good man or a good woman.
"I... am not one of course."
Lu Wancheng covered his lips and coughed several times, then said sympathetically, "Then you will be wronged to death if you marry me for good fortune."
Lin Qingyu's eyebrows were gloomy: "Nonsense. It's your turn to get married for me, don't you feel wronged?"
"That's why I said I would make it up to you."
"That's easy to say, but what are you going to do to compensate me?"
"My legacy."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "I still have to fight for your inheritance myself."
Lu Wancheng asked: "What compensation do you want? As long as it is not troublesome or laborious, I can give it to you."
He wanted to take the examination for the Imperial Medical Bureau, wanted to leave the Nan'an Marquis Mansion, and wanted to do what he wanted to do. But he knew it was almost impossible. His marriage to Lu Wancheng was personally granted by the Emperor. Even if Lu Wancheng agreed to divorce, he still needed the Emperor's approval.
Lin Qingyu was silent for a while, then said, "Give me your hand."
Lu Wancheng held his wrist with one hand and asked warily, "Hmm? What are you going to do?"
Lin Qingyu said impatiently: "I'll take your pulse."
"You should have said it earlier." Lu Wancheng raised his hand, revealing a part of his wrist, "Doctor Lin, please."
There was a charcoal brazier burning in the room. Lu Wancheng curled up in the quilt, but his wrists were still cold. Feeling his pulse beating, Lin Qingyu frowned.
Lu Wancheng's health improved, but the root cause of the disease was not eliminated. He could feel the "sudden vitality" that Doctor Zhang had mentioned. But Lu Wancheng's body was like a bottomless pit, consuming this vitality bit by bit. Unless the root cause of the disease is eliminated, Lu Wancheng will not live more than half a year once his vitality is exhausted.
But the root cause of Lu Wancheng's illness is incurable.
Seeing Lin Qingyu's face gloomy, Lu Wancheng asked: "Am I saved?"
Lin Qingyu asked: "Why do you think so?"
"Because you're unhappy." Lu Wancheng said indifferently, "Putting yourself in my shoes, I think you should hope that I die sooner."
Lin Qingyu couldn't help but ask: "You really don't care about life or death at all?"
"There's nothing to worry about." Lu Wancheng smiled, "My fate is determined by heaven, not by me. Don't worry, my dear, you are safe."
Lin Qingyu: “…”
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Lu Xianyu: My fate is determined by the author, not by me, I can’t live [lying flat.jpg]
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