Chapter 53 [53] Pride due to illness
【53】/First release
"Your Highness, why is it you?"
As soon as Yun Ran saw Sima Jing, she remembered how he had treated her harshly yesterday.
That was the first time Sima Jing lost his temper with her and spoke harshly to her.
It was also the first time she saw Sima Jing's emotions so openly expressed.
To be honest, it's a bit scary.
Sima Jing also noticed the evasive gaze of the young lady on the bed, and his hand holding the tray couldn't help but clench.
"It's getting late. I'll let Madam Hou go back and rest. I'll come see you tomorrow."
He walked to the couch, placed the tray on the side table, and glanced at Yun Ran's still haggard face: "How are you feeling now?"
Yun Ran lowered her head, her slender fingers unconsciously tugging at the embroidery on the red quilt, and whispered, "Much better."
Sima Jing saw her little action clearly.
After a moment's silence, he lifted his robe and sat down beside the couch. He saw her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she was trying to move towards the couch, and his chest felt dull and stuffy.
"Yun Ran."
He grabbed her wrist and said in a deep voice, "Look up and look at me when I speak."
Her long, raven-black eyelashes trembled. Yun Ran hesitated for a moment, then raised her head and forced a flattering smile at the man beside the couch: "What do you want to tell me, Your Highness?"
Sima Jing: “…”
He raised his hand and pinched her face.
Why did you start without saying anything?
Yun Ran called out in surprise, "Your Highness?"
"Don't laugh like that."
Sima Jing pursed his lips and said, "You're not wrong. It's me who was wrong. I shouldn't have been so harsh to you."
Yun Ran was stunned again.
When Sima Jing apologized to her yesterday, she was very cold and her mind was confused so she didn't think much about it.
But now, he apologized to her again.
His serious attitude and solemn tone made the fear and alienation in her heart dissipate.
"I know."
Yun Ran lowered the hand that was pinching her face and smiled again, but this time the smile came from the heart, her eyes curved like the bright moon: "I know you acted like that because you were worried about me, I'm not really angry with you. But -"
She changed the subject and pretended to be annoyed: "You are really scary when you lose your temper. I dreamed that you were scolding me last night."
Sima Jing: “…”
"Okay, okay, I was just kidding you."
Yun Ran blinked: "Anyway, if you have anything to say next time, just talk nicely and don't lose your temper anymore."
Sima Jing pursed his lips and looked at her: "As long as you don't act rashly in the future, I won't lose my composure like this again."
After what happened yesterday, he realized that his emotions had been so deeply affected by her without him realizing it.
So deep that it was out of his control.
Reason told him that this was not a good thing.
But he didn't want to restrain himself.
"I wasn't really impulsive. I didn't even think about rescuing him at first, but there was no one around to go down, and I couldn't find any tools to use. When I first approached, the child was able to struggle a few times, but then he just sank."
Yun Ran recalled the scene of yesterday and couldn't help but frown: "I am a person who can swim. I can't just watch someone drown in front of me like that."
Even if Sima Jing scolded her, even if she was sick and in great pain, if Yun Ran were given another chance, she would still choose to jump.
"If I really don't do anything, I'm afraid I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Yun Ran raised his hand and pressed it against his chest. "My master said that the most important thing for a person is to be true to their conscience. If someone loses their conscience, they are no different from animals and should never be made friends with."
Sima Jing: “…”
Seeing the man's slightly gloomy face, Yun Ran realized something and said hurriedly, "Your Highness, don't think too much. I don't mean to scold you..."
"I didn't think much of it."
Sima Jing's face remained calm: "I am cold-blooded and heartless."
"I don't expect others to have a good conscience, and others don't have to expect others to have a good conscience."
"Moreover, most people in this world are busy and hustling for money. People like you..."
His eyes flickered slightly, looking at the fair face in front of him, as bright as the moon, still unable to understand: "Very few."
"That's not the way to put it."
Yun Ran felt that Sima Jing was being too pessimistic. "Yes, there are indeed many despicable and sinister people in this world, but the majority of people are down-to-earth and ordinary people who live their lives in an honest and respectful manner. The human heart is inherently complex. As the saying goes, one thought can make you a devil, another a Buddha. Judging a person by using black and white is too one-sided."
"Take me for example. You think I was doing a good deed when I jumped into the river to save someone yesterday, but I've done bad things too."
"What bad thing?"
“…”
Yun Ran choked. She had just made a casual analogy and didn't expect him to ask further questions.
But now that she had said it, she could only awkwardly confess her misdeeds: "Once, I was greedy, so my fourth senior sister and I stole peaches from someone else's garden. Another time, my master took me to a house to perform a ritual, and the man in the house spoke rudely to my senior sister. So, while he was in the toilet, I threw a string of firecrackers into the pit..."
"I originally just wanted to scare that scoundrel and make him fall into a pile of shit, but I didn't expect him to be so cowardly that he actually fell into the pit."
Later, the scoundrel fell ill and did not recover for a long time. The master and the host said that he was possessed by an evil spirit and made another profit from it.
She felt very happy at that time, as she had both taken revenge and made money.
Now that I think about it, that wasn't a glorious thing to say.
“Those were things I did when I was a kid.”
Yun Ran said embarrassedly, "I don't steal things anymore, and I don't scare people casually anymore."
Sima Jing did not think this was a bad act.
If this is considered evil, then what is it when he gouges out eyes and ears, and kills and dismembers people?
That's right, she and he are not from the same world at all.
"Okay, let's eat something first."
Sima Jing took the bowl of cabbage and chicken porridge from the tray, scooped some into it, and brought it to her mouth: "The imperial physician said that you have a high fever and are weak. You should eat light food for the next few days. Avoid rich fish, meat, or greasy food."
Yun Ran looked at the meat porridge that was passed to his mouth and said uncomfortably, "Your Highness, I can do it myself. There's no need to trouble you."
"No need to bother."
Sima Jing had no intention of handing her the spoon. He simply said, "Consider this as an apology for being mean to you yesterday."
Yun Ran: "...Uh, okay."
Since he insists on feeding him, then feed him.
Yun Ran opened her mouth in response. He took a spoonful, and she took a bite. He took another spoonful, and she took another bite...
She didn't know if it was her illusion, but after feeding Sima Jing a bowl of meat porridge, he still seemed a little unsatisfied.
Yun Ran murmured in her heart, does this man treat her as a rabbit?
Not long after filling their stomachs, Queen Mother Zhao and Queen Zheng also came to Feiluan Palace to visit.
But before they could enter, Sima Jing walked out: "Unfortunately, the princess just drank the medicine and fell asleep."
Regardless of whether this was true or false, since he said so, Queen Dowager Zhao and Queen Zheng could not go in to visit again.
Although Sima Jing was impatient to deal with it, since they had already come to his door, he couldn't chase them away immediately. He had to suppress his impatience and sit with them in the side hall.
Queen Dowager Zhao called Qingling to ask about Yun Ran's condition. She was relieved to learn that he was not seriously injured.
But looking at the faint bruises under Sima Jing's eyes, he couldn't help but frown: "Since the princess is fine, you don't have to worry too much. If you are short of manpower, just let me know."
Sima Jing: "We have enough manpower, no need to worry."
Queen Dowager Zhao choked and was speechless for a moment.
Seeing this, Empress Zheng smiled apologetically and said, "Your Majesty, your intentions are good. After all, falling into the water in such cold weather is truly dangerous. The princess is so frail, so it would be best if she had more reliable personnel around her."
Sima Jing held the cup and said nothing.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the side hall turned cold.
Queen Zheng felt extremely uncomfortable and regretted that if she had known her cousin was asleep, she would not have come.
Queen Mother Zhao wanted to talk to her youngest son for a while, but seeing that he still had such a cold attitude, it was like facing a smelly and hard stone, and she didn't know where to start.
After sitting there for half a cup of tea, Queen Dowager Zhao finally stood up and said, "Since the princess has gone to bed, let her rest well. We'll come visit her again when she feels better."
Queen Zheng also quickly stood up, ordered her people to leave the supplements and medicines she brought, and then said goodbye with Queen Dowager Zhao.
On the way back, the sky was gray and the wind was cold.
Queen Mother Zhao's expression was darker than the cold wind, her red lips were tightly pursed, and she was obviously displeased.
Queen Zheng followed behind, not daring to say a word.
At a fork in the road, Queen Dowager Zhao paused, glanced back at the cautious Queen Zheng, and said in a deep voice, "Princess Jing is not only your sister-in-law, but also your cousin from your aunt's family. You two are of similar age and are related by blood. There are some things that I, as her mother-in-law, cannot say. As her sister-in-law and cousin, you must also teach her more."
"Although she was born in the countryside and never learned any etiquette, now that she's been found and brought back, married into the royal family, and become a princess, she should always be mindful of her status. A slight breach of etiquette in a small matter is fine, but how could she be so impulsive and reckless in a matter involving life and death?"
"She was lucky, and nothing serious happened this time. If anything had happened to her, where would she put the Marquis of Changxin Mansion, and where would she put Prince Jing? Could it be that she felt the slander against Prince Jing wasn't enough, and wanted to prove those rumors about him being unlucky in marriage?"
The last sentence was filled with obvious anger.
Empress Zheng's heart trembled, and she knelt down hurriedly: "Mother, please calm down."
Seeing this, the palace maids on both sides also knelt down and said, "Queen Dowager, please calm down."
Queen Mother Zhao was indeed angry.
She originally liked Yun Ran's innocence and kindness, but when she heard that she actually jumped into the river to save a child from the village, regardless of her own safety, she suddenly felt that she was extremely stupid and foolish.
He was just a child, so why would she, as a princess, go out of her way to save him?
Fortunately, nothing happened——
Her life is not in danger, her body is not damaged, and it will not hinder her from having children in the future.
Otherwise, she would definitely hold the Changxin Marquisate accountable for raising such a daughter who had no sense of common sense and disregarded the overall situation.
Does she think her life is still as worthless as before?
"Everyone, get up."
Queen Dowager Zhao took two deep breaths before offering Empress Zheng a helping hand. "Yanniang, you are the mother of a nation and a role model for all women. You should teach your sister-in-law how to be a qualified princess, not a country bumpkin who acts rashly on impulse."
Empress Zheng replied sullenly, "I understand. When my sister's health improves, I will definitely convey your instructions to her."
"There's no need to specifically say it's my opinion, lest she speak without restraint and then tell A Jing about it, causing him to misunderstand me again."
Queen Mother Zhao patted the Queen's hand and said, "I love you deeply, but I criticize you harshly."
Queen Zheng lowered her eyes: "...Yes."
After seeing off Queen Mother Zhao, the Queen couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
She knew what the Queen Mother was worried about, but she couldn't bear to use those words to discipline Yun Ran.
There are countless women like her in this world.
It's rare to find a woman as pure, kind, brave and fearless as Yun Ran, but they use these rules to trap her and turn her into someone like them...
Queen Zheng felt sad.
**
That night, Yun Ran took his medicine and lay in bed bored.
"So boring, so boring, so boring——"
She wailed, looking pitifully at the man sitting by the window: "Your Highness, if you won't let me read the storybook, and won't let Qingling talk to me, then you have to find something for me to do."
Sima Jing raised his eyes and said, "I didn't stop your maid from talking to you."
Yun Ran: "But if you stay here, Qingling will be nervous and can't let go."
Sima Jing: "That's her problem."
Yun Ran: “…”
After a moment, she hugged the quilt and wailed again: "I don't care, it's so boring anyway. I've been lying there all day and I'm going crazy."
I really want to soak in a hot spring, see the plum blossoms, or even practice the piano.
Sima Jing saw that she was lying restlessly on the bed. After thinking for a moment, he walked to the bedside and lowered his head to take off his robe.
Yun Ran was shocked: "Your Highness, what is this?"
Sima Jing: "Aren't you bored? I'll sleep with you."
Yun Ran: “……?”
It was just getting dark, how could she sleep so early?
But he didn't give her any chance to refuse, so he lay down on the bed and pulled down half of the curtains.
"The imperial physician said that the high fever has not subsided, so you must rest and avoid exerting any energy or effort."
The bright red pillow embroidered with twin lotus flowers was large enough for Sima Jing to lie on. He then took Yun Ran into his arms, tucked in the corners of the quilt, and wrapped her tightly, not a single piece of clothing leaking out. He then continued, "If you want to get better quickly, you must follow the doctor's instructions carefully and don't neglect them."
Yun Ran was held tightly in his arms, unable to move, and muttered sullenly, "...You're even stricter than Aunt Lan Gui."
The first two times she was sick, although Nanny Lan Gui was strict, it did not prevent Qing Ling from chatting with her to relieve her boredom.
Now, he insisted on staying by her side, making Qingling nervous and stuttering, unable to speak clearly, and he himself was a taciturn person.
Thinking of this, Yun Ran poked the man's chest in frustration.
"Stop it."
Sima Jing held her hand, closed his eyes and said, "You are sick, you can't kiss me tonight."
Yun Ran: “……?”
When did she say she wanted to kiss?
"I poked you because, because... you didn't say anything! You were holding me back!"
Yun Ran said, "Your Highness, I usually talk to you. Today I'm sick. Can you talk to me?"
Sima Jing was silent for a moment, then asked, "What?"
Yun Ran: "Just... say whatever comes to mind. Like what you did today, what interesting things happened to you recently, what interesting things or people you met in the past, or anything that left a deep impression on you... Chatting is just about talking about anything, there's no set rules for what you have to talk about."
What did you do today?
Sima Jing said: "Reading, accompanying you, that's all."
Interesting things recently.
"I will teach you how to ride and go to market with you."
Interesting things and people I met in the past...
"No."
He said, "They are just annoying people and annoying things."
I don't want to mention it, and I don't want to pollute her ears.
His past life was dark and unremarkable.
Yun Ran sighed inwardly when he saw that he had finished talking in just a few words.
"If I weren't sick, I would have taken you to the hot springs..."
Thinking of the hot spring water that was so comfortable that it opened every pore, Yun Ran poked Sima Jing's chest again: "Your Highness, when I recover from my illness, will you come with me?"
Sima Jing frowned.
"Go ahead."
Yun Ran raised her face from his arms, blinking pitifully at him with her watery black eyes: "Can you bear to reject a patient?"
Sima Jing felt amused when he saw her pretending to be pitiful.
It's just the scars on his body...
His eyes dimmed, and suddenly, a soft and slightly cool hand touched his collar.
His body suddenly stiffened.
"What are you doing?"
Perhaps because of her illness, Yun Ran became bolder and quickly touched the man's chest several times.
Even when her wrists were strangled, she only opened her sparkling black eyes with an innocent look: "You kissed me so hard that the skin broke, can't I touch you twice?"
The righteous tone made Sima Jing's eyebrows jump.
"This is different..." he said hoarsely.
"What's the difference? Since you can use the second request to kiss me, then I can also use the first request to touch you. This is fair." She struggled with her wrist and softened her tone: "Your Highness, will you just let me touch you? At worst, when I recover from my illness, I will let you kiss me."
Sima Jing: “…”
Does she even know what she is talking about?
He closed his eyes and exhaled twice, finally suppressing the restlessness in his chest.
When he opened his eyes again, the person in his arms was still staring at him with those moist black eyes full of expectation——
It's really tiring.
After a while, he said in a deep voice: "Aren't you afraid?"
"What are you afraid of? Those scars?"
Yun Ran said, "I told you, don't be afraid. Who doesn't have two scars on their body?"
As she spoke, she raised her hand to show her palm: "Look, don't I have one too?"
Sima Jing: “…”
After another silence, he released the hand that was strangling her.
Seeing that he agreed, Yun Ran was afraid that he would go back on his word, so he quickly reached out and touched the man's clothes again.
Although it cannot be seen, the bumpy and uneven touch under the palm is very obvious.
Of course, the muscle lines are also very obvious.
As if exploring a treasure, she slowly moved her palm down the man's chest and then to his back. Wherever she touched, there were uneven and mottled scars.
For some reason, my heart suddenly felt sour and swollen, as if a wet rain was falling.
She suddenly understood why he didn't want to talk about the past, just like the scars on his body that he didn't want to show to others -
Perhaps his heart is as scarred as this body.
Unconsciously, she lowered her head and crawled into the quilt.
When Sima Jing felt something soft against his heart, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened.
Looking down again, he saw the person in his arms lying on his chest, her pale pink lips carefully kissing the position of his heart.
In an instant, an unprecedented emotion, accompanied by a tingling sensation like an electric current, surged from my heart to my whole body.
Sima Jing's throat tightened, and he pressed her shoulders, his voice incredibly low and hoarse: "What are you doing?"
Yun Ran's shoulder ached from being pinched by him. She raised her head from his chest, her dark eyes wet as if washed by rain. Her brows were slightly furrowed, a soft worry covering her face. "I... I don't know either..."
"I want to kiss you, maybe it won't hurt anymore."
“…”
Just a few words made Sima Jing's heart tremble and his limbs felt numb.
"Can't kiss?"
Yun Ran saw that his eyes were dark but he didn't say a word, and he suddenly felt a little uneasy in his heart.
But he kissed her like this two days ago, and she just touched her lightly, but he bit and nibbled her, and she didn't stop him.
Never mind, since he doesn’t say anything, I’ll just take it as his consent.
As if to prove her fairness, she kissed him on the left, then on the right—
Even though she didn't understand, what was there to kiss?
She felt that two kisses were enough, so how could he hold her down and kiss her for so long before?
Is it because her skin is smoother and more delicate than his, and her two pussies are softer and taste better than his?
Sima Jing felt that he was about to be played to death by her.
I wanted to push it back, but she was still sick.
otherwise……
"That's enough."
He grabbed her two rebellious hands, pulled her up, and with a stern face, pulled up her collar and said, "When you recover, I will accompany you to soak in the hot springs."
Yun Ran was surprised and delighted: "Really?"
Sima Jing: "Really."
After touching and kissing her, he believed that she was really not afraid anymore.
"Very good!"
Yun Ran happily leaned into his arms, then raised her hands and wrapped them around his waist naturally: "Your Highness, trust me, it will be very comfortable."
Sima Jing nodded lightly.
He didn't know whether it was comfortable or not. He just told her to keep playing, because tonight was going to be very hard.
"It's getting late, go to bed."
He moved the pillow behind him, took her to lie down, and pulled the other half of the curtain.
Perhaps the medicine was taking effect, Yun Ran felt a little sleepy at this moment.
She lazily nestled in Sima Jing's arms, her eyes closed lightly: "Your Highness, can you promise me one more thing?"
Sima Jing: "...Speak."
Yun Ran: "When we return to Chang'an, can you let me go into Liuxian Garden to take a look?"
Sima Jing: "Why do you want to go there?"
Yun Ran: "I just want to go."
Sima Jing: "Aren't you afraid?"
This was the second time Yun Ran heard the words “Aren’t you afraid?” tonight.
She was a little dissatisfied and felt that she was looked down upon.
"People say you're a wife-killing devil, but I still dared to marry you. What's there to be afraid of just a few snakes?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the dim tent suddenly became quiet.
This sudden silence made Yun Ran's heart beat fast. Was she becoming too proud of her illness and getting carried away?
Just as she was struggling with whether to explain, a man's calm voice came from above her head: "Okay."
Yun Ran was stunned: "Huh?"
"Take you to Liuxian Garden."
Sima Jing pinched the soft flesh around her waist and said, "But you have to be prepared. These aren't just a few snakes, there are 185 in total."
Yun Ran: “…”
How come there are both zeros and whole numbers?
"T-That's so many."
She swallowed dryly. "No wonder they sent so many mice."
Sima Jing heard the shrinking tone in her words and chuckled: "If you like, you can feed them mice."
"They have good appetites, just like you."
“…”
Others used flowers to describe people, but he compared her to a snake.
Yun Ran secretly complained, Sima Jing raised his hand and held her head down: "Alright, go to sleep."
Yun Ran felt dizzy from the warm camphor scent on his body. She closed her eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.
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