Chapter 17 Was it really his face that the nightmare was dreaming about? ...
Shi Wan was awakened by thirst.
I opened my eyes, half-asleep, and saw dappled light filtering through the top of the bed curtains, drifting around in my vision, somewhat dazzling.
She reached out in a panic, her knuckles twitching unconsciously, like a drowning person trying to grab onto something. Suddenly, the back of her hand was enveloped in a warm sensation.
Focusing their gaze, they saw Jiang Xu's expression, which subtly revealed a hint of worry.
"You're awake?" His voice was gentle, completely different from when he was in front of the Buddha statue. Shi Wan even vaguely sensed a hint of indulgence. "How are you? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
She choked up, "...I'm a little thirsty."
As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice became hoarse, as if it had been slashed by a razor blade.
Jiang Xu remained expressionless and quickly handed her the teacup that was prepared to the side. He only let go after she had a firm grip on it, and he did not forget to instruct her, "Warm water, just right for drinking."
Shi Wan immediately snapped out of her daze, her amber eyes unblinking as she sipped her tea, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Why is Jiang Xu suddenly being so enthusiastic towards her?
They were almost... quite attentive.
That's a bit too creepy.
Seeing that Shi Wan looked at him obediently upon hearing this, he paused slightly before completing the second half of his sentence, "Why did you suddenly faint?"
There was no way that Shi Wan would tell the truth.
If the nightmare that has been raging for the past few months were to be revealed, it would surely end badly.
But... she fainted suddenly just now, and there are many loopholes in her story. If she insists on lying, she will probably have to use several lies to fill in the gaps.
It's not that she can't lie, but if you really want to, she's not that good at it either.
What's more, the person she lied to was Jiang Xu.
At a young age, he took command of hundreds of thousands of Jingbei troops, establishing himself as a regional overlord in a chaotic world.
Shi Wan hesitated for a moment, but still braced herself and said, "My health has never been good. I get out of breath after three steps and feel very uncomfortable after five. I probably got tired from walking all this way."
Let alone Jiang Xu, even a soldier with a little experience would probably not believe her words.
Shi Wan knew what was going on, so she was inevitably more anxious and subconsciously added, "Moreover, perhaps it's because I've been worrying every day these past few days and haven't been sleeping well."
Worried every day? Worried about what?
Could it be...?
Is she worried about...him?
Jiang Xu's heart skipped a beat, and his tone softened unconsciously. "I see."
In an instant, everything before Shi Wan's eyes was shrouded in a thin veil.
All of this happened extremely quickly, in the blink of an eye. So much so that Shi Wan's thoughts were momentarily interrupted.
Jiang Xu... just believed her?!
Such a flawed excuse, even bordering on sophistry.
He actually believed it?!
She felt conflicted and silently stared out from behind the bed curtains. Before long, four or five doctors entered one by one, each announcing their name and place of origin, followed by a brief self-introduction.
This scene looks exactly like a job recruitment drive.
What's even stranger is that these people weren't speaking in Jiang Xu's direction, but rather...
Towards her.
While speaking, they would bow respectfully, and the bolder ones would secretly boast a few words.
Shi Wan: "......"
What is Jiang Xu up to?
I went to the temple, but ended up being possessed by evil spirits?
Despite her inner turmoil and speculations, Shi Wan simply watched quietly, occasionally offering a kind smile. Unfortunately, just as she finished replying to the first person, Jiang Xu suddenly spoke up from the side, "Alright, since everyone says your medical skills are superb, then let's examine them one by one."
His gaze fell on Shi Wan. "Let's see what's wrong with her."
Upon hearing this, the doctors immediately lined up to take Shi Wan's pulse. One of the female doctors even requested to examine her up close. After receiving permission, she gently lifted a corner of the bed curtain and looked at Shi Wan face to face.
The female doctor paused for a moment, her face flushed, before she continued to focus on the diagnosis.
Jiang Xu watched this scene, casually tapping the jade pendant at his waist, seemingly lost in thought. He then said, "Watch quickly."
The speaker said, "This... esteemed person, I observe that your complexion is as white as fresh snow, and your lips are as pale as faded vermilion. This... is a sign of deficiency in both qi and blood!"
The other person added, "Exactly! Your pulse is deep and thin, like a thread, hesitant and sluggish, as if a knife is scraping bamboo. This is... a sign that an old wound in your heart is affecting your internal organs!"
The middle voice echoed, "Indeed! This noble person must have suffered some old injury to their chest. We must be very careful and take good care of them!"
Jiang Xu sat upright to one side, and the more he listened, the worse his expression became.
Although these people spoke in a literary style, their underlying meaning was not difficult to understand; he had indeed studied diligently for several years.
Wan'er's physique was just as weak as she appeared.
He immediately asked, "The pulse is weak and shallow; could there be other contributing factors?"
The group exchanged glances. After a moment, the female physician, still under pressure, said, "With such a pulse, I'm afraid... it's difficult for her to bear the weight of the pregnancy. If we force her to have a child, there is a risk of postpartum hemorrhage."
This statement was quite straightforward, and even Shi Wan herself, sitting on the couch, understood it.
It's simply saying that she had difficulty conceiving.
It's nothing, and she doesn't care.
Unexpectedly, her gaze shifted and met Jiang Xu's eyes. In his eyes was the same worry and tenderness as when he had handed her the teacup earlier.
Such emotions are so rare that Shi Wan almost never imagined she would see them in Jiang Xu.
Seeing that the doctors all spoke in unison, Jiang Xu's expression darkened slightly. After a moment, he instructed, "Go find the guard waiting outside and make a list of the necessary medicines, precautions, and prescriptions."
Seeing Shi Wan looking at him, he subconsciously met her gaze before continuing, "Go and collect your reward after you're done."
The group quickly knelt down to express their gratitude, and only left after a short while.
After everyone left, Jiang Xu spoke, his tone revealing a hint of relaxation he himself was unaware of, "Why are you looking at me with such surprise?"
"Could it be that they've framed me for some crime again?"
These words made Shi Wan feel quite guilty.
She did write down some of her "flaws" in the booklet, but she didn't fabricate them; at most, she exaggerated them a little.
"Since it's an expression of gratitude, there's no need to be so formal, is there?"
"In private, you can refer to yourself as 'I,' can't you?"
Shi Wan was taken aback for a moment, "Then, thank you very much, Your Majesty, for finding a doctor for me and for treating my illness."
Jiang Xu felt much better and responded softly upon hearing this.
This statement carries a rather subtle meaning, and beneath its special nature, it subtly reveals a hint of ambiguous feelings, like a woman playing a pipa while half-concealing her face.
Shi Wan was aware of this, and her thoughts unconsciously wandered a bit.
Does this mean that she was also deceived at some point in the past?
There were even times when she...wouldn't she have wronged Jiang Xu?
At least for now, this person wants to treat her well, and she can genuinely enjoy the benefits.
So, could she perhaps change her approach and develop this relationship into a long-term one?
After all, this is the state of the world these days.
If he were to leave rashly, no matter how hard he tried, the people outside would most likely be worse off than Jiang Xu.
After assessing Jiang Xu's value, Shi Wan spoke again, her tone unconsciously becoming much softer, "The King has treated me so well, and I have no way to repay him for everything he has done for me."
Her voice was already beautiful, and now that she deliberately slowed down her tone, it revealed a hidden charm that Jiang Xu had never experienced before.
Perhaps Wan'er treated her patrons the same way.
Like it is now.
Jiang Xu suddenly felt uneasy. A strange feeling, similar to fear, surged up and quickly took over his mind.
It's jealousy.
Even though it was just a small matter, this time, Jiang Xu had a feeling of "I knew it."
"When you were unconscious, you looked like you were in a lot of pain and you were sweating profusely." He raised his voice slightly. "It looked... like you were having a nightmare?"
There's no point in hiding this news, and besides, she has something to say if the other party presses her for details.
Shi Wan gave a soft "hmm".
Seeing this, Jiang Xu's eyes darkened. "A few days ago, I heard that you also often have nightmares." He belatedly realized that he had been paying attention to Wan'er's matter for a while. He was inexplicably nervous, but on the surface, he remained calm and composed.
Trying to make her tone as natural as possible, she asked, "Did you... dream about someone?"
No matter how elegant the name of a place like Willow Terrace may be, it is actually filthy and disgusting.
Although, according to the information he found, Wan'er had benefited from misfortune and hadn't suffered any major hardships, what if...?
He couldn't help but think of more things, and even had a slight urge to kill a few people to relieve his boredom.
As Jiang Xu was pondering, he suddenly heard the person on the bed say, "It's a nightmare. I dreamt of the King."
Shi Wan's tone was half-serious and half-joking. Her right profile showed her usual smile, and she blinked her eyelashes, making her appear even more harmless. Coupled with her sickly demeanor, she was enough to make most men fall for her.
Jiang Xu is no exception at this moment.
There was a certain amount of self-satisfaction that went unnoticed.
It turns out that this was in Wan'er's dream.
Was what I dreamt of actually his face?
A note from the author:
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The descriptions of the doctors examining the patient, such as "her complexion was as white as fresh snow, and her lips were as pale as faded vermilion..." and "her pulse was deep and thin like silk, hesitant and sluggish, like a knife scraping bamboo..." and the diagnosis of difficulty in conceiving, were all made up by me based on information from the internet.
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