Chapter 73 "You and Sister Meng... and...
After Meng Yutong left, Ji Ming got up from the small couch and stared at his sleeping brother's face, the pent-up anger in his heart still lingering.
Seeing his brother's sickly appearance, he finally softened. While tucking the brocade quilt around Ji Yun, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Really, how did I end up with a brother like you..."
He had slept the whole way on horseback, and now he felt much better and was not sleepy at all.
So he curiously touched and looked around the room, fiddling with the writing brush and inkstone on the table, and fiddling with the bamboo curtain by the window, inevitably making some rustling noises.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps the medicine was taking effect, the person on the bed frowned slightly and turned over.
Ji Yun slowly opened his eyes, his vision still a little blurry, but he saw Ji Ming standing on tiptoe, trying to reach a painted lacquer box on the top shelf of the bookshelf.
"Ji Ming," he called out in a hoarse voice.
Upon hearing the sound, Ji Ming immediately turned around, ran to the bedside, and asked with concern, "Brother, you're awake? Are you feeling better?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that his eagerness seemed to damage his "authority," so he quickly took a step back, deliberately put on a stern face, and said in a disdainful tone, "You really know how to cause trouble for others! Sister Meng came back and stayed up all night to make medicine for you, and she stayed up for a long time before she finally rested."
Ji Yun wearily pinched the bridge of her nose, not noticing his awkwardness, and asked only, "While I was unconscious, did you say anything to her?"
Ji Ming pouted and turned her head away: "I'm not telling you!"
Ji Yun was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I broke my promise to bring you to find her. This is my fault, and I apologize to you."
Ji Ming had never heard Ji Yun apologize to him so solemnly before.
He opened his eyes wide in surprise, and most of the grievances in his heart dissipated instantly; he was almost about to forgive the other person immediately.
But then he thought, if he let it go so easily, wouldn't he seem too easy to talk to? Wouldn't Ji Yun be even less likely to take his requests to heart in the future?
So he crossed his arms, feigned maturity, and snorted, spouting some twisted logic he'd heard somewhere: "If apologizing were all it took to settle things, what would be the point of having officials in the yamen to judge right and wrong?"
Upon hearing this, a faint trace of helplessness flashed across Ji Yun's eyes. He did not reprimand him for his childish remark, but pondered and said, "To show my sincerity, I can grant you a favor as compensation."
Ji Ming blinked; the suggestion was quite tempting. For example… could he ask for leave from school tomorrow? Or could he be allowed to secretly buy his favorite candied fruit? Or perhaps, could he be allowed to stay up half an hour later and read some more leisure books?
After considering it for a moment, he reluctantly nodded and said with an air of superiority, "Seeing that you still have some sincerity, I will be magnanimous and not hold your mistake against you. But if there is a next time, I will not let you off easily!"
Seeing his expression, Ji Yun's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile: "Now, can you tell me what you said to her?"
Ji Ming then took two steps closer, plopped down on the edge of the bed, and said, "I didn't say much, I just told Sister Meng about the strange dream I had a couple of days ago."
Although Ji Yun had expected it, upon hearing it with his own ears, his expression still froze for a moment, almost imperceptibly. In the depths of his usually calm and serene eyes, it seemed as if an undercurrent was quietly surging.
He composed himself and asked casually, "When you told her these things, how did she react?"
Ji Ming then recounted in detail how Meng Yutong comforted him and explained the difference between dreams and reality.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yun's heart was instantly filled with turbulent emotions that were difficult to quell.
Therefore, Meng Yutong was not surprised by the contents of Ji Ming's dream.
His previous guess was likely true.
Meng Yutong probably had the same dream.
Perhaps it wasn't just a dream...
It's unbelievable, yet it makes perfect sense.
This realization brought a deeper shock and agitation, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.
In Ji Ming's eyes, after hearing his words, Ji Yun stood there in a daze, like an old monk in meditation, staring blankly into the void.
His distraught appearance was completely different from his usual calm, composed, and seemingly in control brother.
Ji Ming reached out and tugged at Ji Yun's sleeve: "Brother?"
"Brother," Ji Ming looked up at his brother, his tone filled with conflict and worry, "is there still a chance for you and Sister Meng to get married again?"
He both longed for Meng Yutong to stay by his side legitimately and become part of the family, yet he couldn't shake the fear brought on by the tragically ending marriage in his dreams.
He was afraid that if the dream came true, that ending would repeat itself.
Ji Ming frowned, feeling that this was not a problem he should be concerned about, so he simply used his cleverness to pass the hot potato directly to Ji Yun.
He remembered clearly that when Ji Yun and Meng Yutong broke off their engagement, Ji Yun's reaction was indifferent to the point of being cold, as if he didn't care at all. This indescribable atmosphere was completely different from what he remembered.
He couldn't quite figure out exactly what had changed, but he felt that his brother was no longer as distant as before when treating Sister Meng.
Ji Yun's mind was in turmoil, unable to extricate himself from that horrifying conjecture. Why did his mother, younger brother, and even Yu Tong all seem to share a memory he knew nothing about? Why was he the only one excluded?
He desperately wanted to know what had happened between him and Yutong in that forgotten past.
Ji Ming's sudden question snapped him back to his senses, but it also threw him into complete disarray.
Is there any possibility that he and Meng Yutong could rekindle their romance?
Ji Yun's eyes flickered with a range of emotions: surprise, bewilderment, and even a faint glimmer of hope, before finally settling into an unfathomable silence.
He looked up at Ji Ming and almost abruptly changed the subject: "Aren't you tired after a whole night of this?"
Ji Ming immediately shook his head: "I'm not tired!"
Ji Yun had already gotten up and pressed Ji Ming back onto the bed without saying a word, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Nonsense, how can you not be tired? Get some rest today, I'll ask for leave for you at the school."
Ji Ming, who had been trying to resist, froze upon hearing the words "take leave".
No need to go to school? Well... a little tiredness doesn't seem so bad.
He immediately lay down obediently, even dramatically closing his eyes, whimpering, "Tired...so tired...I want to sleep...I can't go to school today, and maybe I won't be able to go tomorrow either..."
As he spoke, he pulled the blanket over his head and pretended to fall asleep.
Ji Yun glanced at him, said nothing more, straightened her slightly wrinkled clothes and messy hair, and stepped out of the room.
By this time, it was already broad daylight, and Zhaoyutang was about to open its doors to patients. The courtyard seemed more lively than usual, with several people gathered around a stone table, seemingly looking at something.
Meng Yutong stood in the center, while Liu Sijun enthusiastically explained things to her from the side, a faint smile appearing in her eyes.
Liu Sijun bent down and clicked open the lock on a cage on the table.
Just then, Ji Yun approached.
With a whoosh of flapping wings, a snow-white shadow suddenly darted out of the cage.
Having been caged for so long, the pigeons, suddenly free, became somewhat carried away, flapping their wings and running wildly around the yard.
Seeing this, the onlookers scattered and laughed. The pigeon seemed startled and, like a headless fly, flew straight towards Ji Yun's face as he walked over.
Ji Yun's pupils suddenly contracted.
What was rapidly magnified in my field of vision were those wings that flapped incessantly, stirring the air and making an unsettling sound, and those small, sharp, red-glowing eyes.
The white figure, accompanied by a gust of wind, instantly filled his entire field of vision, and the surrounding space seemed to be suddenly compressed, leaving only a cramped and oppressive atmosphere.
He stood there motionless, not even bothering to move aside.
"Come back! Don't bump into anyone!" Liu Sijun hurriedly whistled.
The pigeon stopped abruptly just inches from Ji Yun's cheek, circled once, and obediently landed back on Liu Sijun's shoulder.
“Brother Ji, I hope I didn’t scare you. This feathered beast flew in from Qinzhou. It’s just like me, very reckless and not very docile.”
Liu Sijun smiled somewhat embarrassedly, raised his hand and gently tapped the pigeon's head, scolding it, "You said your leg injury hadn't healed, so I kindly let you rest in the cage, but you just came out and caused all sorts of trouble!"
Meng Yutong keenly noticed that Ji Yun's expression was different; his face was paler than usual, and his lips were also lighter in color.
She quickly recalled that when she was preparing medicine with Ji Ming not long ago, he had mentioned that Ji Yun was afraid of pigeons. So she said to Liu Sijun, "Brother Liu, since it has injured its leg, it is best to keep it in its cage to rest and prevent the injury from worsening."
“Tongtong is right,” Liu Sijun readily agreed, grabbed the pigeon, neatly stuffed it back into the cage and locked it. “I just wanted to borrow your quiet yard to let it rest for a while. Please help bandage its wounds.”
In the short time it took for the two to exchange a few words, Ji Yun's expression changed several times. Only after returning to a state that was not much different from usual did he take a step forward and walk towards Meng Yutong's direction.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the tips of his fingers, hanging at his sides, were slightly curled and trembling. His gaze also consciously avoided the stone table and the birdcage, revealing a hint of unease.
He looked at Meng Yutong, his voice slightly gentler than usual: "You worked hard all night last night, so I will take care of seeing patients today. You should go back to your room and rest for a while."
Meng Yutong looked up at him and saw that although his face still had a hint of fatigue and paleness, it was much better than when he was unconscious last night, and his eyes had regained their spirit. She guessed that he had probably recovered almost completely.
Nevertheless, she still asked, "Are you feeling any better?"
Seeing her express concern, Ji Yun's eyes flashed with a faint smile. He took a small step forward without making a sound, closing the distance between them, and said in a low and steady voice, "After taking the medicine you personally prepared, I'm much better. There's no need to worry about me too much; it would only make you feel uneasy."
Everyone in the courtyard looked puzzled.
Meng Yutong hadn't had time to explain what happened last night, and they were unaware that Ji Ming had gone missing and been found. Seeing Ji Yun coming downstairs and hearing these words, they couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances, wondering: When did Physician Ji arrive? What did he mean by "working all night"? What did these two do together last night?
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, Meng Yutong briefly recounted her search for Ji Ming the previous night.
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was going on and exclaimed, "So that's what it is! Why didn't you ask us to help? You're being too polite!"
Liu Sijun sidled up from the side, grinning as he stretched out his arm, putting one arm around Meng Yutong's shoulder and the other around Ji Yun's shoulder, saying familiarly, "For something like finding someone, you should come to me! What if you two encounter some danger in the middle of the night?"
Ji Yun lowered his eyelids slightly, his tone calm and even, yet carrying a hint of aloofness: "Young Master Liu is kind and generous, which I appreciate. However, the situation last night was urgent, and I did not want to disturb everyone's peaceful sleep, so I did not dare to trouble you."
As he spoke, he raised his hand without changing his expression, seemingly casually brushing away Liu Sijun's hand that was about to be placed on his shoulder, and then took a half step forward, just enough to separate Liu Sijun and Meng Yutong.
As if she were simply turning around to speak to Liu Sijun, she inadvertently caused Liu Sijun's other hand, which was resting on Meng Yutong's shoulder, to slip down.
Ji Yun offered to take the medical examination on her behalf, and Meng Yutong did not refuse. She was indeed exhausted from running around last night. So, after briefly explaining the things she needed to pay attention to today to Ji Yun, she turned around and went back to her room to rest.
Before leaving, she picked up the pigeon coop on the stone table, carefully re-bandaged the pigeon's injured leg, and then carried the coop to the eaves of her house to hang it up.
Her house was already secluded, so placing the pigeons there would be inconspicuous and wouldn't disturb the patients.
Inside Zhaoyutang, Ji Yun took over Meng Yutong's position, with Liu Sijun assisting as usual. The two began to treat the patients who came to the hall one after another.
There were fewer patients today than yesterday. The clinic had just opened and it wasn't busy yet, so everyone was handling the patients calmly and without rush.
During a break from consultations, Ji Yun casually struck up a conversation with Liu Sijun beside him. His gaze remained fixed on the pulse pillow in front of him, and his tone sounded as if he were chatting about everyday matters: "I heard that Young Master Liu came to Lin'an specifically to sell jade artifacts. Now that the goods have been sold, I wonder when you plan to return?"
Liu Sijun laughed loudly: "It's true that we've sold out, but I think Lin'an has beautiful scenery and the food is just what I like. I haven't had enough of it yet, so I'm not in a hurry to go back!"
Now that the person has been found and is right in front of him, he is even more reluctant to leave.
His gaze casually swept across the direction from the lobby to the backyard, and a rare hint of complexity appeared on his usually carefree face.
Thinking of Meng Yutong, a woman, running this large clinic alone, and how she was in dire need of manpower, how could he stand idly by? He had to wait until everything at the clinic was on track before making any plans.
Ji Yun took in the fleeting changes in his expression, lowered his eyes thoughtfully, then looked up at Liu Sijun again, his gaze seemingly calm but with a hint of sharpness: "I've heard that merchants traveling abroad often use aliases for convenience. I wonder if Young Master Liu does the same?"
Liu Sijun's expression hardened slightly, and he did not answer immediately.
Ji Yun understood immediately and didn't press further, simply saying, "'Liu' and 'Liu' do have similar pronunciations."
He spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if it were just a casual remark.
These words carried a different meaning to Liu Sijun. He looked at Ji Yun with undisguised surprise: "You... how did you find out? How much else do you know?"
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