leave
The next day, as expected, Song Mingyan appeared at the Shen residence on time. Shen Yuan busied herself with her attendants, her face beaming with smiles.
"Your Highness, I have already sent someone to fetch Xiao Wu."
"Hmm." Song Mingyan sat on the high seat, his expression cold, and upon closer inspection, one could also detect a hint of contempt in his eyes.
Shen Yuan poured himself a cup of tea. The reason he was able to get promoted this time was because the heir of the Marquis of Anyang spoke well of him to the Crown Prince. Although he did not want to side with the Crown Prince before, if he did not know what was good for him, the Feng family would suffer the same fate.
Shen Yuan quickly accepted this fact.
"Your Highness, you're going to stay in Jeju for quite some time now. Little Fifth has a tragic past; her parents died early, and as her uncle, I feel extremely sorry for her. Fortunately, she's lucky to have Your Highness's favor..."
Song Mingyan lowered his eyes and did not respond.
Shen Yuan clicked her tongue and shut her mouth. Just then, the servant she had sent arrived and whispered a few words in Shen Yuan's ear.
His expression changed slightly, and he got up to leave.
"Lord Shen."
The person behind him suddenly opened his eyes and called out to him.
Shen Yuan turned around, still smiling: "The servants said that Xiao Wu is sick. I'll go and see. The young master has been waiting here for so long. It's not good that Xiao Wu is sick."
Song Mingyan fiddled with the white jade at his waist, his face revealing no emotion: "Lord Shen, she is my fiancée. It is only natural that she does not want to see me. When did it become your place to force her?"
"Bang—" Shen Yuan froze.
The good-natured young man walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder: "I heard that Lord Shen wanted to marry my fiancée to someone else a few days ago. Is that true?"
"It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" Shen Yuan hurriedly explained, a chill inexplicably creeping into her heart.
Song Mingyan chuckled softly, removing his palm from Shen's back: "Lord Shen has served as an official for many years and should know some skills in navigating social situations. However, Your Highness detests those who are fickle and indecisive."
"Your subordinate dares not."
“In that case, I need all of Shen Ji’s information.” Song Mingyan smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes; instead, it revealed a hint of caution.
Ji'er?
Shen Yuan didn't understand, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he readily agreed. He was now the Crown Prince's man, and he knew very well what he would rely on in the future.
As for Shen Ji, he never treated him as family, and there was no need for him to show him any mercy.
**
Jiang Mian felt uneasy. Half an hour ago, she had just woken up when she felt a pair of hands tightly holding her waist. Looking down, she saw that the fingers were long and slender with distinct bones, just enough to wrap around her whole body. She estimated that it was already late, and she should have gotten up by this time.
Jiang Mian shifted her body; the position wasn't comfortable, and she even felt a bit stuffy.
"Miss, the Second Master sent someone to inquire, saying that Young Master Wen Shi has arrived and requests your presence."
Jiang Mian was slightly startled. Suddenly, she felt the hand around her waist tighten. She knew he was awake, but he kept his eyes closed and didn't make a sound.
Yunji knocked on the door twice, but there was no response from inside. Just as she was about to push it open, her fingertips touched the door, and she suddenly heard something.
"Just say I'm sick."
"Is Miss ill? Should I go and fetch a doctor?" Yunji asked worriedly.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired today and don't want to see him."
"Yes." Yunji supported all her actions. Although she didn't know why her young lady didn't see Young Master Wenshi, she was sure her young lady had her own reasons.
After dismissing Yunji, Jiang Mian suddenly broke free from Shen Ji's embrace. The young man still did not open his eyes, his calm and handsome face as if he were asleep.
Jiang Mian looked him over, and before she knew it, her thoughts started wandering.
Shen Ji's sleeping posture was actually very dignified. Most of the time, he was quiet, with his long eyelashes drooping gently, casting a light shadow on his handsome face. If only his temperament were like that face.
Unfortunately, he didn't understand her heart at all.
Jiang Mian withdrew her gaze and prepared to get out of bed. Although she had refused to meet with Song Mingyan today, she still had many things to do and could not be interrupted by his arrival. However, just as she was about to put on her shoes, she felt a slight stinging sensation on the inside of her thigh.
Jiang Mian blushed, and some inappropriate images suddenly appeared in her mind.
She glared fiercely at the person on the bed. If he hadn't acted recklessly, she wouldn't be in this state today.
After Jiang Mian finished washing up, she returned to bed. Shen Ji had not yet opened his eyes. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to wake him.
Yunji had come by again just now. Only Heyue knew about their relationship; Yunji was unaware of it. Jiangmian did not let Yunji in, but instead asked her to go out of the mansion to retrieve the clothes she had ordered a month ago.
By the time she returns, Shen Ji will definitely be gone.
To her surprise, she called out several times, but the person on the bed did not respond.
"Cousin?"
"..."
"Shen Ji, stop pretending, I know you're not asleep."
She mustered her courage and called his name.
"..."
"If you don't wake up soon, I'm going to see Song Mingyan."
"..."
Strangely, he had seemed afraid she would leave just moments before, but now he was pretending to be dead. She reached out and pushed him, and suddenly realized that something was wrong with him; his body temperature was higher than usual. No wonder she felt so hot this morning; it turned out that the heat was coming from him.
Shen Ji actually developed a fever.
Jiang Mian found it very novel, and she was even a little happy. Now that he was sick, it meant that he could not make demands at will in the short term, and she could finally have a few days of peace.
But before long, she encountered a problem.
Since Shen Ji fell ill in her room, if she were to call a doctor, everyone would know about their relationship. Thinking of this, Jiang Mian decided that she would not call a doctor for him.
She used a clean handkerchief dampened with water to carefully wipe his upper body clean. There was some medicine left over from his last illness, so she had He Yue brew it and then personally fed it to him. After doing all this, Jiang Mian collapsed onto the soft couch.
It was a thankless task, and if she weren't afraid he would die here, she would have liked to leave him completely while he was still weak.
Shen Ji kept his eyes closed and remained quiet throughout the entire process. Except for when he couldn't swallow the medicine and she had to pry open his mouth and force it in, everything else was very easy.
My cousin who never speaks or opens his eyes is still the best.
Why are you taking care of me?
Suddenly, the young man on the bed slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were clear, and he did not look like he had just woken up.
Jiang Mian was startled by him. She didn't know when he woke up. Maybe he was conscious from the beginning, or maybe he woke up while she was wiping his body. She pursed her lips and giggled, "Of course it's because I like my cousin."
"It makes me very sad when you are sick."
She didn't blink, and lies came out of her mouth effortlessly.
Upon hearing this, the young man gave her a deep look, and then smiled, seemingly in a good mood.
“Cousin, Mian Niang is sincere. Mian Niang has always liked you. However, Mian Niang dares not ask for anything. The reason I wanted to leave before was because I was afraid that one day you would get tired of me and discard me like trash. That's why I wanted to find a way out for myself.”
"Is your way out to marry Song Mingyan?" Shen Ji's voice was calm, and the corners of his lips that had just lifted fell back down.
Jiang Mian felt a little guilty. She had indeed thought about it. Although she didn't really want to marry Brother Wen Shi, there was no better way to escape him right now. Brother Wen Shi was the heir of a marquis's family. She didn't expect to marry into a high-ranking family, but compared to others who were not as good as Shen Ji, Brother Wen Shi was the best choice.
However, since the Gu worms in her body have not been removed, even if she has the will, she can only think about it for now.
"Cousin, you're joking. I only like you, cousin."
Jiang Mian reached out to hug him. His body temperature was still very high. She touched his forehead with concern and whispered, "Why hasn't it gone down yet?"
Caught off guard, the young man reached out and pulled her into his arms.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and a deep possessiveness shone in his eyes.
"Mianniang, please don't leave me."
His voice was very soft, with a hint of pleading. This was the first time Jiang Mian had seen him speak to her in such a submissive manner, expressing his reluctance to let her leave.
She pursed her lips slightly, a subtle sense of complexity rising in her heart. A struggle flashed in her eyes, and then she inadvertently noticed the scratch on his wrist, which had scabbed over.
She lowered her long eyelashes and finally uttered those words against her will.
"good."
Shen Ji smiled gently. His body temperature was a little high, and he was afraid of infecting her with his illness, so he only hugged her for a short while before reluctantly letting go.
"I'll be leaving for a while tomorrow. I hope you won't have any other thoughts while I'm gone."
leave?
Jiang Mian looked up, her mind only echoing those words. She blurted out instinctively, "Then what about the mother-child Gu inside me? It needs your blood to..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Shen Ji stared intently at her. She was so eager to test him, wanting to know how to break the curse. Unfortunately, he was afraid he would disappoint her.
“Blood isn’t necessarily needed. I’ve already had the medicine prepared and will be taken once every seven days. If Mian Niang is obedient, the medicine will be delivered on time. But if I find out that Mian Niang has met with someone she shouldn’t have, then… what can I do? I can’t bear to see you die.”
Shen Ji seemed to regret it. He gently stroked her hair with his palm, and then said casually, "If I can't bear to see you get hurt, then I can only go after someone else."
Jiang Mian was a little taken aback. She had just been basking in the joy that he would give her the medicine on time when she suddenly heard this subtle threat.
He meant that he couldn't bear to see her get hurt, but if she met someone else while he was away, that person's safety couldn't be guaranteed.
He really knows how to manipulate her.
She knew that no matter what she did, Shen Ji wouldn't easily let her get hurt, but if it involved others and they suffered because of her, she wouldn't stand idly by.
Jiang Mian gritted her teeth secretly, but her smile became even more gentle. She snuggled affectionately into his arms and said, "Mianniang will be a good girl and wait for her cousin to come back."
Shen Ji kissed her cheek and whispered, "Sleep with me a little longer."
Jiang Mian was caught off guard and pulled onto the bed. A thin blanket was placed on both of them, and he embraced her from behind. There was no gap between them, and she was almost embedded in his arms. Her breath was filled with a light, cool fragrance.
Shen Ji smiled and slowly closed his eyes.
His illness was not sudden, but rather foreshadowed. He had secretly met with the subordinates left behind by the Crown Prince of Yong'an in order to deal with the Feng family's affairs, and had been running back and forth for several days without a proper rest.
The calming incense is becoming increasingly useless to him. Every time he closes his eyes, he dreams of the bloodshed of yesteryear. Many times when he opens his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by darkness and desolation, making it difficult for him to recover from the dream.
He didn't know when it started, but since she came into his life, he gradually became able to sleep soundly. Many times, when he woke up in the middle of the night and saw her peaceful profile, his heart, which had not been beating for a long time, began to feel somewhat unreal.
He is not alone; he has her.
Although she wasn't wholeheartedly devoted to him, as long as he was alive, Jiang Mian could only love him.
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