Chapter 18 The Ambiguous and Aloof Taoist Priest
As Yu Xuan had predicted, Song Zhaohan had already introduced Zhu Xuanning to his friends before taking her to the banquet. From that moment on, her target became Ji Yucheng, but she was struggling to find a way to get in touch with him.
When Zhu Xuanning entered the peach grove at the foot of the mountain, Hua Mama, who was waiting there, told her that Madam Zhu had already taken Zhu Baoyue up the mountain.
"Miss has just recovered from a long illness and still needs to rest. Madam has instructed us to prepare vegetarian food in the peach grove here. Please go to the peach grove stream to enjoy the flowers and tea, and wait for Madam to come down the mountain."
Qin was meticulous and had a backup plan. Even though Zhu Xuanning was able to reach Taiqing Temple in time, she ordered people to stop her, and she made sure to arrange everything in her name.
"Thank you for your trouble, Auntie," Zhu Xuanning said with a smile, readily agreeing.
Today's trip, while irritating Qin Shi, also yielded other gains, so she was in a good mood and could overlook the minor arrangement.
When Madam Hua saw Zhu Xuanning being so compliant, she was extremely surprised: "Then please enjoy your time here, Miss."
Madam Hua left with a group of servants, leaving her an area to play in, while keeping a close eye on her actions from a distance.
Zhu Xuanning led the splashed ink into the depths of the peach grove, and then heard the babbling of a stream.
Beside the stream was a small rosewood tea table that Qin had set up, with charcoal burning and her usual milk tea simmering. An exquisite food box lay quietly on the tea table with its lid on.
Zhu Xuanning took her seat, put the sugar cubes into her cup, and then poured in milk tea from the pot.
"Miss, these flowers are blooming so beautifully. I picked a few to adorn your hair." Po Mo looked at the blooming peach blossoms, and on a whim, she plucked a branch.
The ink splashed and the peach blossoms were broken with force, causing a few to fall gently. Zhu Xuanning reached out and caught the falling petals, her red lips and jade-like face making her look like a fairy among peach blossoms.
"Who is that?" The boy carrying the scriptures asked his trusted aides, a hint of emotion flickering across his usually aloof face.
“It’s that young lady from the Zhu family. You may have forgotten, but the fifth young master of the Earl’s Mansion and the young master of the Duke’s Mansion had a dispute because of her. That day, you returned to the mansion early and even ate half a bowl less rice because you didn’t enjoy yourself.” The middle-aged man explained to Ji Yucheng in detail.
"It was her." Ji Yucheng realized, and just as he was about to look away, he noticed that the girl who had been admiring the flowers had tied her armbands and taken off her stockings.
Ji Yucheng suddenly gripped the scripture in her hand and immediately looked away.
A moment later, the blush on his face faded.
Ji Yucheng decided to change to a pavilion to read. Just as he got up to leave, a servant stepped forward and reported, "Master, Miss Zhu has gone into the water."
Ji Yucheng remained silent, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
The stream is shallow and won't drown anyone, so what's there to report?
“The fish that you released into the stream at noon are swimming in there. Miss Zhu caught them.”
The next second, Ji Yucheng's emotions changed. He even forgot to put down the book and turned to run down the mountain.
"Zhu family girl! Don't catch those fish!"
The boy's clear voice rang out from the mountainside. Zhu Xuanning turned around in surprise, and before she knew it, the struggling fish slipped from her hand, splashing water that soaked her dress.
"Miss!"
Upon seeing a strange man running towards them, Po Mo, who was tying straw ropes for the carp on the shore, dropped the fish in his hand and was about to run over when he was immediately stopped by a strong servant.
The fish beside her were all snatched away by Ji Yucheng's guards.
Zhu Xuanning wiped the water droplets from her face and reassured Po Mo, "Don't worry, that's someone I know."
While she and Po Mo were talking, Ji Yucheng had already run to the stream. He was a little far from Zhu Xuanning, but he couldn't go forward or backward.
"This fish doesn't have your name on it, why won't you let me catch it?" Zhu Xuanning wrung out her wet skirt, her expression looking rather unhappy.
Ji Yucheng took a step back, her ears turning red, but she didn't offend her with her gaze: "Those are the fish I released today to pray for blessings. If I hadn't seen them, it wouldn't have mattered, but since you made me see them, I can't let you catch them."
Zhu Xuanning suddenly realized something. She moved closer to the shore, where a small carp, barely able to jump, was hidden in the long, shallow grass. Ji Yucheng did not see it.
Ji Yucheng could see Zhu Xuanning walking towards the shore out of the corner of his eye. He thought she was going ashore and subconsciously turned his back, but then he heard the girl say, "Then close your eyes now and pretend you didn't see anything."
Just as Ji Yucheng was about to avoid suspicion, he paused for a moment and saw the girl with her back to him bend down and reach into the grass. The swaying fish tail flashed past Ji Yucheng's sight.
He opened his eyes wide, forgetting all etiquette, and snatched the fish from Zhu Xuanning's hand.
With a "splash," the sound of something falling into the stream rang out.
Ji Yucheng carefully released the fish back into the stream, and only relaxed after seeing the carp swim away.
Just as Ji Yucheng turned around to reason with Zhu Xuanning, the splashing water hit his face. The boy looked up blankly and saw the girl who had fallen into the stream. She was beautiful and graceful, with tears in her eyes, like a peach tree that had been flooded by a sudden rain, her white spring dress soaked.
Ji Yucheng stood there, stunned, speechless.
Ji Yucheng hurriedly turned around, about to run to call her maid over.
"Come back!" Zhu Xuanning was dumbfounded when she saw that this idiot had actually left her standing there, and her face turned red with anger.
Ji Yucheng didn't stop, only thinking about going faster.
"My maid's arms are weak, do you want to call my aunt's people to laugh at me?" Zhu Xuanning's words forced Ji Yucheng to stop in his tracks.
I only have one maidservant who splashed ink on me. If you summon other people from the Zhu family, my maidservant will be beaten to death for failing to protect me properly, and I will be confined to my quarters indefinitely.
The girl sobbed softly, and even though Ji Yucheng's back was to her, the image of her with tears in her eyes could still appear in her mind.
The girl, settling for second best, preferred to let the guards see her soaking wet body rather than seek help from the Zhu family.
Ji Yucheng's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she could imagine the precarious and apprehensive situation the woman was in the mansion.
"I understand." Ji Yucheng took off the crane cloak draped over her body, turned around, and walked towards the stream.
He'd already seen what he shouldn't have seen, so why bother calling the servants and making her suffer again?
"Grab my hand." Ji Yucheng's hand was hidden in his sleeve, his peripheral vision falling on the spot next to Zhu Xuanning.
Perhaps Ji Yucheng's attitude changed too quickly, Zhu Xuanning didn't react for a moment, and just stared blankly at the approaching Ji Yucheng. Only after he spoke did she slowly extend her hand.
Ji Yucheng pulled her up forcefully, and Zhu Xuanning stood up unsteadily with the force.
"thump".
An even larger splash erupted, and in that instant, everyone on the shore turned pale.
Zhu Xuanning slipped and fell backward. Ji Yucheng didn't have time to let go and bumped into her. The scriptures in his hand and his crane cloak fell into the stream together.
The splashing water soaked his hair, and droplets dripped down his brow bone, blurring Ji Yucheng's vision. He didn't know where his hands were.
The sounds of choking on water and crying out in pain reached his ears. Ji Yucheng subconsciously raised his hand to wipe away the water droplets that were obscuring his vision. The moment his vision cleared, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The girl's black hair was half-wet, her pearl hairpins were askew, and her face turned red from coughing.
Fear and anger flashed in her eyes as she glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears and smoke.
That emotional gaze finally brought Ji Yucheng back to his senses. He subconsciously withdrew his hand, hurriedly stood up, and looked somewhat embarrassed when he turned his back to Zhu Xuanning.
"Don't come any closer, throw the fur coat over here." The boy's cold voice finally changed at this moment, stopping the servants who were running towards the shore.
Ji Yucheng took the fur coat that the servant had put down, picked up Zhu Xuanning, and apologized for offending her: "I'm sorry."
The guilt in his heart had surged into a sea.
Zhu Xuanning didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pulled her fur coat up.
The girl hiding under the fur coat trembled slightly, and then intermittent sobs gradually began to rise.
Ji Yucheng's lips gradually tightened as she cried.
There are several houses with green tiles on the mountain, which were built specifically for Ji Yucheng and his friends.
He carried Zhu Xuanning to the couch, and soon a servant brought in a bathtub. After the water was filled, Po Mo helped Zhu Xuanning into the tub for a bath.
Po Mo looked at the red and swollen spots on Zhu Xuanning's body and felt extremely distressed.
Zhu Xuanning didn't pay attention to any of this. She simply called Po Mo to her side and gave her a few words of advice.
After Po Mo left the room, Ji Yucheng's servant indeed spoke on her behalf: "Sister Po Mo, how is Miss Zhu?"
Po Mo glanced at Ji Yucheng, his smile somewhat forced, but he still spoke: "It's nothing, just some bruises. Do you have any medicated oil?"
"Just bruises? What about her foot?" Ji Yucheng's eyes showed no sign of doubt. He remembered that Zhu Xuanning had injured her foot, so why didn't her maid mention it?
Po Mo gave a vague reply, then added a sentence to change the subject: "Miss's illness has just improved, but she fell into the water again. I'm afraid she will catch a cold again. Do you have any old ginger here? I'd like to make a bowl of ginger soup."
"Go to the herb garden in the temple and gather some commonly used herbs," Ji Yucheng said to the servant beside him, then turned to Pomo and said, "I am knowledgeable in medicine, so I will write a prescription for your young lady to prevent and treat this condition."
He bowed and thanked her, offering a plausible excuse: "Then I will go with your servant so that we can return quickly and not delay the time for preparing the medicine for the young lady."
Ji Yucheng nodded without thinking too much about it.
After the two men left, another servant arrived late, carrying the medicinal oil.
Ji Yucheng's gaze fell on the bottle of medicinal oil. After a moment of contemplation, he summoned a guard to bring his medical kit before personally knocking on Zhu Xuanning's door.
“Miss Zhu, I have some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. May I examine you?” Ji Yucheng’s tone was somewhat serious. Fearing that the other party might resist, he added, “If you are unwilling, I will have my servant invite a female doctor for you. However, this round trip will take quite some time, and at that time, it may disturb Madam Zhu who is about to return to the mansion.”
Perhaps Ji Yucheng's words in the latter half had an effect, because the door was gently pulled open a crack, revealing a pair of moist, starry eyes that shimmered with a faint light.
Ji Yuqing's usually cold face showed a hint of surprise, which then disappeared. He frowned and said, "If you have sprained your ankle, how can you get out of bed and walk? This will only worsen the injury."
Zhu Xuanning didn't reply, but only said in a muffled voice, "Thank you for your trouble."
After she finished speaking, she opened the door, turned around with difficulty, and walked inside with unsteady steps.
The girl bit her lip tightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. The pain from walking made her face turn pale.
She counted slowly in her mind.
The numbers stopped abruptly, and she was picked up again and carried horizontally.
The sudden action seemed to startle Zhu Xuanning, and she subconsciously put her arms around the boy's shoulders and neck.
Zhu Xuanning's loose black hair swayed with her fair arms, accidentally brushing against Ji Yucheng's collarbone, the cool, ticklish sensation sending shivers down his spine.
Ji Yucheng's pace faltered for a moment, but he silently recited the calming mantra to regulate his breathing.
As he approached the bed, Ji Yucheng's expression remained as cold and indifferent as ever. He calmly placed the girl on the bed, then knelt down and removed the girl's piled-up stockings.
The boy's gaze was earnest and focused, devoid of any desire, as if he were performing the most sacred pilgrimage in the world.
Zhu Xuanning's slender ankles, once as white as fresh snow, were now alarmingly swollen and red.
Ji Yucheng simply pressed two fingers together gently on the swollen area, and then heard a gasp coming from above.
"Does this hurt a lot?" Ji Yucheng asked patiently, setting aside her distracting thoughts.
Zhu Xuanning responded, and Ji Yucheng pressed her palm against her heel, gently grasped her delicate ankle, and tried to move it inward.
"It hurts," the girl cried out in a trembling voice, her tone rising pitifully at the end.
Ji Yucheng immediately stopped what she was doing, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
"Your injury isn't too serious. I'll use acupuncture to promote blood circulation later."
Afterwards, wear the device I made and rest for over a week, supplemented with acupuncture and bloodletting, and take the medicine I prescribed. If all goes well, you should recover completely.
Ji Yucheng opened her medical kit and began administering acupuncture.
There was no pain during the acupuncture procedure.
Ji Yucheng, who was highly focused, inevitably felt her body getting hot after the needles were removed.
"Would you like to stay in the temple? I will administer acupuncture to you every day," Ji Yucheng asked, tossing the golden needles into the basin.
He disregarded worldly affairs and feared trouble, but he bore some responsibility for the injury to the Zhu family's daughter.
Zhu Xuanning slowly clenched her fist on the edge of the bed: "If I don't return to the manor, my aunt will be unhappy."
“Since I’m going to ask you to stay, I’ll naturally take care of things. My master will handle things with the Qin family.” Ji Yucheng didn’t seem to care much. After a pause, she said, “Just tell me whether you’re willing to stay and let me perform acupuncture.”
Ji Yucheng only showed one skill, but Zhu Xuanning could already tell that his claim of having some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine was just an overly modest statement.
It could heal her injuries, provide her with an intimate opportunity to be alone, and even resolve her worries. How could Zhu Xuanning not be willing?
"Then I'll trouble you, young master." Zhu Xuanning thanked him softly, her face slightly flushed. She bent down and added, "Could you please hand me my silk stockings? It's a bit cold in here."
Ji Yucheng, who had only regarded Zhu Xuanning as an ordinary patient, was stunned for a moment. His gaze subconsciously shifted to the white cotton stocking, recalling the delicate touch of the girl's ankle when he had just touched it.
Ji Yucheng reached out and picked up the silk stockings from the ground, gripped the shoulder strap of the medical kit tightly, handed it to Zhu Xuanning, but turned her head away without looking at her.
He simply regarded the Zhu family woman as a patient, which did not offend her.
As Ji Yucheng thought this, her slightly agitated emotions gradually calmed down.
But this tranquility was eventually shattered by the girl's entwined fingertips.
She seemed to have been too careless; when she took the stockings, she actually grabbed his hand.
Ji Yucheng's gaze shifted to Zhu Xuanning in surprise, meeting her flustered and bewildered starry eyes.
The soft silk stockings slid down, hanging ambiguously on his silk clogs.
The room was quiet for a moment.
Zhu Xuanning pursed her lips tightly, looking both shy and anxious, almost on the verge of tears.
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