Chapter 18 Illness (2)
Unexpectedly, the visitor spoke in a clear voice, placed the bowl of medicine in his hand lightly on the desk, turned around without stopping, and seemed to leave calmly.
"The door was ajar, so I went in. The medicine is on the table. Drink it, and you will be well tomorrow."
Under the moonlight, she saw the man's jade-like face, which was like a crystal clear and cold jade, bright and pure, yet with an inviolable and cold aura.
It turned out to be Mr. Qu who taught her to play the piano every day.
"gentlemen……"
Chu Qingluo slowly withdrew her hand from under the pillow and asked in confusion. The fierceness in her eyes faded away in an instant. She whispered softly, "How can a man come to a woman's bedroom in the middle of the night..."
"Since you haven't called the doctor and haven't come to class, I came to check on you." Perhaps fearing that Shuying on the couch would misunderstand him, he added in a deep voice, "There is a man who has fallen ill in the Music Department. If the news gets out, it will be difficult for me to explain myself."
"But why did you come so late at night? You could have come anytime during the day to take a look..." She stared at the figure, brighter than the moonlight, and sat up gently, saying softly, "I'm glad to see that I'm fine. You can rest assured, sir."
Qu Hanjin had no intention of leaving. His eyes were lowered on the table. Next to the medicine was a prescription. The medicine package was intact and unopened, as if someone had delivered it earlier.
"This medicine bag is..."
He couldn't help but wonder, since students in the mansion were not allowed to leave easily, where did this prescription come from...
"Meng Ying'er sent it over a few hours ago, saying that Young Master Sheng specially left the mansion to get the medicine." Chu Qingluo smiled and told the truth, not knowing why the gentleman was staring at the medicine bag in a daze.
Sheng Youzhang...
Only then did he remember that there was a person in the mansion who could enter and leave the palace freely because of his special status. He was immediately relieved of his confusion and began to wonder why Sheng Youzhang cared so much about a woman.
Qu Hanjin's cold eyes barely noticed as he glanced at the boots placed under the bed. His brows furrowed slightly, his expression calm and thoughtless, as he said, "From now on, don't go to the back mountain on cold nights."
She was inexplicably shocked after hearing this, not knowing where she had missed a clue. She thought that the gentleman might have recalled the scene when they first met on the back mountain, and had guessed something, which was why he said this.
"Teacher, how did you know that the student went to the back mountain..."
"There's dead grass on my shoes." After a long pause, he averted his gaze and refused to discuss her purpose for going to the mountain behind. "It's best to be more cautious next time."
Chu Qingluo looked down as he spoke, and saw that the edge of his shoes was indeed stained with weeds. He couldn't help but sigh that the person in front of him was too meticulous.
He could see clearly the details that even she couldn't notice.
But this person refused to talk about the murder case, nor did he ask her what she intended to do. He only gave her some cautious advice and wiped out all traces.
His mind inexplicably returned to the zither hall, and the scene of that delicate girl deliberately teasing him resurfaced in his mind. Unable to figure out her intentions, Qu Hanjin hesitated to speak. After a long while, he frowned and asked, "Are you testing me, your teacher, or do you have other intentions?"
This question was asked cleverly, and if there were any bystanders present, they would not be able to understand the hidden meaning.
"What do you mean, sir?" However, she just tilted her head slightly, looking extremely puzzled, then lowered her head and murmured softly.
She probably forgot, or perhaps she hadn't meant to do it. He smiled and told her to rest, his eyes looking out the window. "It's late, Master, I won't bother you any more. You can rest now, and you don't need to come tomorrow."
"The fever will subside tomorrow morning, and students can come..."
Upon hearing this order, Chu Qingluo suddenly became flustered and said hurriedly, "I am used to going to the side hall before class to talk to the teacher. Otherwise, I feel uneasy and upset."
Her autumn eyes seemed to ripple slightly. She slowed down her tone and whispered again, "Besides, the teacher agreed to teach me the last few notes of "Plum Blossom Introduction"..."
"We can change the date."
Qu Hanjin was surprised at her insistence, and responded softly after a few moments.
But how could she let go of this opportunity...
It is not a good opportunity to learn lessons, but an opportunity to gain his favor.
She lowered her head and clutched a corner of the quilt, her eyes dim, and her worries spread in the night: "I have missed the class. If I don't attend classes on time, I will be kicked out of the mansion..."
"You were born because of illness, so I will not drive you away."
Seeing Jing Rou trying to persuade him slowly, he did not move a step, and the coldness in his eyes faded away unconsciously.
Chu Qingluo raised her eyebrows slightly upon hearing this, but still unwillingly asked softly, "Then who will be chosen by the gentleman to attend the banquet..."
"Of course you can't go."
When the palace banquet roster was mentioned again, Master Qingyi seemed to suddenly become displeased. The gentle expression left by his relief just now disappeared, and his face was stained with a hint of anger.
"Your piano skills are far inferior to theirs," he replied sternly, thinking that she was approaching them purely to take a shortcut to enter the palace, and his anger was hard to contain. "Those who are eager for quick success will achieve nothing quickly. This is a simple truth, don't you know?"
Frightened by these words, Chu Qingluo closed her eyes for a moment, then quietly slipped back into the bed like a frightened hare, saying with her back turned, "I understand your intentions, sir. I cannot get off the bed to say goodbye, so please forgive me."
The boudoir suddenly became quiet and silent. The elegant young man in the room did not say a word. He looked at her for a long time, then closed the door and left silently.
If she wanted to make such an unfeeling and polite gentleman willing to do things for her, she had to let him break his own rules first.
Again and again, until sinking...
Her red lips slowly rose, and Chu Qingluo closed her eyes and fell asleep leisurely.
No one doubts Feng Yi's death to this day. The master really protected him very well...
If he were by my side, the road to the abyss would be much smoother.
Although she angered her husband, she still went to the villa as scheduled the next day. She walked slowly, and the spring flowers beside the corridor rustled in the wind.
The servant who usually delivered messages was still guarding the side hall today.
She asked Meng Yatou, and learned that the servant's name was Fu Guang and he had been with the master for many years.
Seeing her approaching, the servant actually stepped aside and said to her respectfully, "The master has instructed that when the young lady arrives, she should go to the hall and study for a few hours on her own."
"Sir, are you in a bad mood today?"
Why let her play the piano alone? Is the master still angry about last night... Chu Qingluo looked at the empty elegant room from afar, there was no one in the room.
The master is really not in the side hall.
Fu Guang raised his sleeve and pointed to the other side of the room, lowering his voice to say, "No, it was Magistrate Li who came to look for you, sir. He said he wanted to search the young lady in the Music Bureau, and he was discussing it with you."
She looked in the direction he asked and saw two figures vaguely reflected in the next room.
Unexpectedly, Li Yunmao came to the house again, not yet satisfied with the murder case, and even attempted to search the women in the house...
"Don't worry, young lady. The master is a man who values etiquette and law very much." Seeing that the young lady had been staring for a long time, Fu Guang thought for a moment and said to the master, "A woman's reputation is above all else. The master will not respond to the prefect."
She had concealed it for her once before. If he still protected her, it was his own choice. He had chosen to fall into this quagmire, and she had never forced him to do so...
The elegant hall was empty, but the "Yan Yin" was still placed in the room. Fu Guang had just said that her teacher asked her to practice on her own first, and he must have been referring to playing this zither.
Chu Qingluo sat down behind the piano and raised her fingers to play the music, but she still played the last few notes wrong, as if telling the master that she was waiting in the elegant room and it was up to him to decide whether to see him or not.
The piano music ended once, and about a quarter of an hour later, the figure who was colder than snow walked into the hall. Her beautiful face seemed covered with a layer of haze, but when he saw her, the hazy air disappeared in an instant.
"Sir...are you angry with the students, or with Magistrate Li..." She asked the person walking towards her with a solemn demeanor and lowered her eyes.
Although he had moved a wooden stool to her side, Qu Hanjin sat down indifferently, his gestures full of elegance: "It has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your studies. You don't need to worry about the rest."
Her delicate features seemed to be tinged with joy. She smiled sweetly, her face blossoming like a flower, and asked cheerfully, "I've just played it once, and it's much better than last time. Would you mind listening to it, sir?"
"You play it."
He nodded and waved his sleeves lightly, indicating that she could touch him again, and he listened carefully.
Hearing this, Chu Qingluo's slightly cool fingertips touched the strings again. She played the song again respectfully, and deliberately improved a few places, but there were still some incomplete sounds, which made the gentleman frown slightly.
Her brows furrowed, and she seemed dissatisfied, sighing softly, "I've practiced the last few notes of this piece diligently, but there are still some notes about the song I don't quite understand. I'd like to ask for your advice, sir."
I still remember that I promised her that I would teach her the song "Plum Blossom Introduction" by hand. Qu Hanjin stood up indifferently, walked behind the girl, moved the chair and stool over, thought for a long time, and seemed unable to speak.
"You...move forward a little."
He had never had such contact with a girl since he started playing the zither. Moreover, the beauty in front of his eyes was extremely soft and delicate, like a piece of fragile jade. He really didn't know how to respond.
"Master, you've never taught your students this way?" Chu Qingluo obediently moved forward, frowning and smiling. "No wonder everyone says you're the most law-abiding and self-disciplined person."
"Everyone says that physical contact between men and women shouldn't be allowed, fearing that it would ruin our reputations if others saw us..." She frankly explained his concerns, her eyebrows curved like a crescent moon, and her words were sincere. "But I don't think so. If it's to help me improve my zither skills, and if you're teaching me, I'd be delighted."
"Sir, there's no need to be so reserved. Even if it's a more intimate gesture, I wouldn't think anything wrong." She spoke softly and gently, wanting him not to worry too much, with an inexplicable glint in her eyes.
"Teacher is the most respected person in the students' hearts."
At this point, all her concerns had been brought to light, and she had made it clear, which made it seem as if he was thinking too much.
Qu Han remained silent for a while, then he stepped forward, leaned over slightly, and whispered in her ear, "Which notes are you playing wrong? I can't remember."
The cold mountain air like snow suddenly enveloped her. She was already wearing thin clothes, and the clothes were so tight on her. She seemed to be able to feel the young master's voice becoming slightly disordered from steady, and even her mind was inexplicably confused.
"It's the second half of the ending..." The desire that had infected the gentleman became stronger and stronger. Chu Qingluo flicked a few times, unable to see his expression.
"Do you remember, sir?"
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