That day in the carriage, she avoided his kiss. He thought it meant she disliked him, so to avoid overthinking, he intentionally or unintentionally distanced himself from her.
This is for her own good.
The spirited and courageous young master of the Marquis of Yongyi from back then is long gone. Now he is nothing but a cripple. Whether his eyes can recover is unknown, and it is also uncertain how much his legs can recover. Being tied to him for life is not a good ending for her.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Ye Chaoxi continued, "I know you're angry because I didn't kiss you that day."
Immediately afterwards, as if in a fit of pique, she wrapped both arms around Xie Qinglan's neck and looked up to kiss her.
A kiss that was completely haphazard, accompanied by her hot breath.
After several breaths, Xie Qinglan suddenly reached out a hand and pressed it against the back of her head, launching a strong counterattack and taking over the territory.
Ye Chaoxi had a fever and her mind was foggy. He forcefully covered her mouth with his, and she couldn't breathe. Her whole body went limp and leaned against him.
Just then, Zhuo Qing knocked on the door. "Young Master, the medicine is ready. Shall I bring it in now?"
The two barely managed to separate.
Ye Chaoxi took deep breaths of fresh air, and Xie Qinglan's breathing was also uneven. After calming down for a while, she spoke, "Come in."
Zhuo Qing came in and glanced at the table, nearly dropping the tray in shock. Good heavens, how come the young master is taking care of the madam's bedside?!
Xie Qinglan reached out, and Zhuo Qing handed him the medicine bowl.
Xie Qinglan said gently, "I can't see, so I can't feed you. Can you drink it yourself?"
Ye Chaoxi nodded obediently, took the medicine bowl, and drank it in small sips with a frown.
Zhuo Qing was greatly shocked.
Such a gentle voice, could it really come from the Crown Prince's mouth? And also, this is the first time in all these years that he has heard the Crown Prince admit that he is blind, and in such a calm tone.
The young prince was arrogant and never bowed his head when speaking to people. Now, the prince is aloof, indifferent, and taciturn. He doesn't match the person sitting on the bed gently urging him to take his medicine at all.
After Ye Chaoxi finished drinking, she put the empty bowl back in Xie Qinglan's hand, frowned and complained, "It's bitter."
"Zhuo Qing, go get the candied fruit."
"Yes." Zhuo Qing picked up the bowl and left, but when she reached the door, she boldly looked back.
His son was holding the man in his arms and kissing him; the two shared joys and sorrows.
Zhuo Qing felt that there was no need to bring candied fruit; sharing the burden would make it less bitter.
The next morning, Ye Chaoxi woke up to find herself sleeping in Xie Qinglan's arms.
As soon as she moved, Xie Qinglan woke up as well.
Reaching out to touch her forehead, Xie Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief when she found it was no longer feverish.
"Would you like a glass of water to soothe your throat?"
Ye Chaoxi asked, "What are you doing in my room?"
Xie Qinglan's face darkened. "You don't remember?"
"I'm sorry, I think I have a fever. When I have a fever, I tend to talk nonsense. Did I say anything I shouldn't have last night?" Ye Chaoxi asked softly, looking apologetic.
She remembered, of course, that the pseudo-illness pill would only give her a fever, but in reality she was perfectly lucid.
If Xie Qinglan isn't taught a lesson, he won't know how to cherish her in the future and will treat her coldly.
Xie Qinglan felt helpless, as if she had just seen the moon after the clouds had parted, only to have it immediately obscured again.
"You forced a kiss on me last night and promised to stay with me forever, never to leave me."
Ye Chaoxi's cheeks flushed slightly. "It couldn't have been me who said that!"
Why isn't this man playing by the rules? He's blatantly lying!
"Yes, you didn't say it, but you did it." Xie Qinglan paused. "The words are what I wanted to tell you."
He had a cool and aloof face, but the tips of his ears were bright red.
"I'm going to wash up."
Ye Chaoxi refused to admit it and ignored the words. She climbed off the bed at the foot of the bed, trying to escape quickly, but Xie Qinglan blocked her way.
He was humble and submissive, no longer the aloof and distant man he once was.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think things through before, which is why I deliberately distanced myself from you. I won't do it again. You're someone I'm going to spend my life with. If you feel wronged in any way, just tell me, okay?"
Only after Ye Chaoxi hummed in agreement did Xie Qinglan relax her brows, release her hand, and let her leave.
After washing up, Ye Chaoxi had breakfast with Xie Qinglan. She heard that Xie Changyu had been carried back by servants. Apparently, he was barely breathing and kept muttering that he was innocent.
After examining the patient, the doctor said the injuries looked like he had been beaten by several people at once, and he would need to recover for half a month.
Lady Hou was furious. How dare anyone beat her son like this, right under the Emperor's nose! She interrogated him for a long time, but Xie Changyu only said that he had gotten into a fight with someone outside and asked Zhang Shi not to pursue the matter.
He dared not mention Xie Qinglan's name. After this ordeal, he was genuinely afraid that Xie Qinglan, that madman, would beat him to death.
...
After breakfast, Ye Chaoxi gave Xie Qinglan acupuncture. With the help of the recovery pills and acupuncture, the meridians in her legs reconnected. Xie Qinglan continued her daily exercise without interruption, and her recovery was rapid.
I believe he will regain his mobility soon.
After the acupuncture, Xie Qinglan exercised her legs on her own. Ye Chaoxi couldn't help much, so she went for a walk in the small garden of the Marquis's mansion.
Just then, a servant came to report that someone claiming to be her sister had come to visit.
Ye Muling? What's she doing here?
Ye Chaoxi had someone take her to the reception room of Tinglan Garden.
Ye Muling followed the servants to Tinglan Garden. Looking at the courtyard, which was just as desolate and cold as she remembered, she guessed that Ye Chaoxi must be having a hard time.
She had expected to see a haggard and resentful Ye Chaoxi, but when she actually met her, she found that Ye Chaoxi was not haggard at all. On the contrary, her complexion was rosy, like a peony carefully nurtured in a greenhouse.
She instantly felt unbalanced.
Why is Ye Chaoxi living such a comfortable life?
In her past life, she was constantly looked down upon in the Marquis's mansion, and her life after marrying Meng Wenjin was no better. The Meng family didn't have the money to hire so many servants, so she had to do many things herself, which was exhausting. In just half a month, her hands, which had been fair and tender for more than ten years, became much rougher, and her complexion was not as good as before.
What's most unbearable is that she recently discovered that Meng Wenjin was leaving early and returning late every day, not to discuss academic matters with his classmates, but to go to brothels and other such places to seek pleasure!
Ye Muling repeatedly told herself to endure, for only by enduring hardship can one rise above others. She married Meng Wenjin for the future position of the Prime Minister's wife and the imperial decree.
Unfortunately, only Meng's mother had some income from her handicrafts, and all of their savings went to the betrothal gifts and wedding. She and Meng Wenjin were both extravagant spenders; in just half a month, she used her dowry to buy a courtyard, added a lot of things, and hired several servants, leaving them in dire financial straits.
So she set her sights on Ye Chaoxi's dowry.
Since Xie Qinglan is dying anyway, Ye Chaoxi's dowry will be divided up by the Marquis's family sooner or later, so it's better to use it to help Meng Wenjin advance his career.
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