Chapter 20: He wasn't pure of heart enough when he asked to marry her; he actually fell for his best friend...
Consumed by intense jealousy, Song Zhaohan was exceptionally sensitive. Ji Yucheng ignited her explosive emotions with just one sentence.
"I'm only treating her because of you. If you insist on nitpicking over the details and making this public knowledge, feel free to do so."
Unlike Song Zhaohan, who lost control of her reason, Ji Yucheng remained calm from beginning to end, and every word she uttered hit the nail on the head.
The difference in ability is immediately apparent, and the difference in character and magnanimity is readily understood.
Song Zhaohan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
Seeing this, Yu Xuan began to ease the situation: "Yu Cheng is right. As you know, there is no better choice than Yu Cheng now."
Neither alarming the Zhu family nor the Duke's mansion would be a rational move. And the doctors in the capital are no match for Yu Cheng's medical skills.
Song Zhaohan understood what Yu Xuan was saying, but the scene just now was too glaring, making his blood boil and his jealousy surge. When he heard Ji Yucheng give his beloved a title, he finally exploded.
Therefore, Yu Xuan offered him a way out, and after catching his breath, he went down the slope.
“It’s my fault.” Song Zhaohan’s tone was stiff. When she said this, she meant she intended to put the matter behind her.
As soon as Song Zhaohan finished speaking, the image of Ji Yucheng kneeling with her palm supporting Zhu Xuanning's foot and holding her ankle flashed before her eyes again, and the emotions in her eyes thickened once more: "When you apply acupuncture, can't you use a silk cloth to separate the skin before touching it?"
Ji Yucheng glanced at him, her voice cold: "If you interfere again, or say another word, you'd better find someone else."
Ji Yucheng was cold-hearted and didn't care much about anything, except for others interfering with her medical practice.
Song Zhaohan choked, held back for a long time, and finally swallowed her anger because she needed to ask for a favor.
"Fine, I'm incompetent, but I need your help!" Song Zhaohan laughed angrily again, looked away, hugged Zhu Xuanning tightly, and strode away.
Song Zhaohan entered another house with green tiles. As soon as she entered the room, she settled the person on the bed, pinched her chin with two fingers, and the jealousy she had been suppressing outside finally rushed towards Zhu Xuanning.
"Ah Zhao." Zhu Xuanning was a little scared, but she still mustered up her courage and gently climbed his wrist with her slender hand, her voice low and soft.
Normally, Song Zhaohan would fall for her charms. As long as her starry eyes were misty and she called him softly, Song Zhaohan would not be able to get angry.
This time, however, Song Zhaohan suppressed the smile on her lips and stared at her with a cold gaze, like a snake spitting out scarlet blood: "Zhu Xuanning, tell me, was your chance encounter with Yu Cheng today really just an accident?"
The girl was still bedridden last night, but after he went to talk to her about the prospective husband at the Zhenguo Mansion, she appeared at the foot of Taiqing Temple. Song Zhaohan couldn't help but become suspicious.
Zhu Xuanning's skin was red from being pinched, her starry eyes glistened with tears, and she became angry again. She had been clinging to Song Zhaohan's hand, but now she was slapping him: "I have no power or influence, I am just an orphan girl who relies on my uncle's power. How could I have the ability to spy on his schedule!"
Zhu Xuanning's eyes reddened with anger: "If you doubt me, you can leave now. Why are you still looking for me!"
“My cousin took pity on me and, seeing me lying on my sickbed, looking dejected, she invited me out to enjoy the spring flowers.”
"The lady tampered with the carriage, trying to trap me halfway. Young Master Yu took pity on me and gave me a ride. I accidentally caught one of the fish he had released, which caused me to fall into the stream and twist my ankle. He took pity on me and treated me because of you."
"Song Zhaohan, in your eyes, all these coincidences are part of my deliberate scheming, aren't they!"
Song Zhaohan's question had two layers of meaning, but Zhu Xuanning deliberately amplified her emotions and only answered one layer. She cried so hard that her body trembled, her face streaked with tears, which disturbed Song Zhaohan's mind and made him suppress his last bit of unease.
Song Zhaohan regretted it and hurriedly tried to coax Zhu Xuanning, but was pushed away by her.
Her eyes were filled with tears, her nose was red, and she turned her head away, refusing to look at Song Zhaohan.
Zhu Xuanning knew that only drastic measures could instill a fear of loss in the other party, so that they would never dare to doubt her again.
She sobbed, her black hair disheveled, her eyes glancing at the jade sword at Song Zhaohan's waist.
Song Zhaohan was anxiously trying to coax her with soft words, unaware of her gaze.
Zhu Xuanning suddenly turned around and fiercely grabbed the sword. Her gaze returned, revealing a resolute look: "Is it only when I draw the sword and cut out my heart for you to see that you will believe me and trust my sincerity?"
The swords of noblemen are always exquisitely decorated and never sharpened. Song Zhaohan, always unconventional, scoffed at such behavior. Therefore, the moment the blade was drawn, Song Zhaohan's heart nearly stopped beating: "A-Ning!"
Tears welled in the girl's eyes, her body trembled slightly from the intense emotions, and the gleaming sword was pointed directly at her heart.
Song Zhaohan suddenly grabbed the blade and pulled it outwards with all her might. Blood meandered down the blade, a shocking sight.
"Ah Ning, I was wrong. I will never doubt you again. Please put down the sword." Song Zhaohan's beautiful face paled slightly from the pain. He didn't even frown, but tears welled up in his eyes.
He knew how afraid Aning was of blades, and his impulsive actions just now had really hurt Aning.
Zhu Xuanning simply stared at him, tears streaming down her face, without saying a word, but the emotions in her eyes spoke volumes.
Song Zhaohan was frightened. He took a step forward, but when he saw the resistance in the girl's panicked almond-shaped eyes, he had no choice but to stop.
“I didn’t doubt you, Aning. I’m just scared. I think about you every day, but you never reach out to me. I’m afraid you’re lying to me. It’s my fault. I’m just being jealous. I won’t do this anymore. Please put down your sword, okay? Don’t hurt yourself.”
Amidst the intense emotional turmoil, Song Zhaohan still managed a forced smile as she tried to comfort her, but revealed a vulnerability she had never spoken of before.
He had seen Zhu Xuanning look at Mei Jiashan in the Rongguo Mansion, but she had never looked at him with that kind of gaze.
Even though Zhu Xuanning was now responding to him, he still felt like he couldn't hold onto her.
Song Zhaohan's words seemed to have moved her, and Zhu Xuanning's eyes glazed over for a moment. Taking advantage of this, Song Zhaohan swiftly drew the sword that was tightly gripping her hand. In the instant that the girl's emotions began to become unstable, Song Zhaohan stepped forward and forcefully pulled her into her arms.
"I'm sorry, Aning, don't be angry with me."
Song Zhaohan's chin rested against the girl's slightly trembling shoulder, tears soaking her once affectionate yet indifferent peach blossom eyes.
The palm was ripped open with a hideous gash, and blood dripped down in a horrifying yet alluring way.
But all he knew was to hold the person in his arms tightly, as if only in this way could he calm the panic in his heart.
Zhu Xuanning finally broke free from her turbulent emotions. She tried to push Song Zhaohan away, but only received a tighter hug in return.
"Ah Zhao." Zhu Xuanning's voice trembled slightly, choked with sobs.
"I'm here." Song Zhaohan didn't want her tears and blood to stain the girl's dress, and gently patted the girl's trembling back with her intact hand.
Zhu Xuanning struggled again, but Song Zhaohan misunderstood her meaning, thinking that she didn't want to be held. Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up even more.
But he didn't let go; instead, he tightened his grip even more. The hand that had been patting the girl's back was now placed on the back of her neck, pushing her tightly inward and pulling her into his arms.
"Ah Zhao, let me see your hands." As Song Zhaohan became increasingly obsessive, Zhu Xuanning finally revealed the reason.
Song Zhaohan trembled slightly, but did not let go.
"I'm worried about you, you've lost so much blood." The girl's voice was nasal, as if she was worried and afraid at the same time.
Song Zhaohan finally loosened his grip a little. He lowered his head and, through his blurry vision, saw Zhu Xuanning slowly take his injured hand.
Zhu Xuanning's fingertips seemed to be trembling, and her face, already wet with tears, turned even paler when she saw his wound.
"Don't look." Song Zhaohan thought she was scared, so she spoke in a hoarse voice and raised her other hand to cover her view.
But Zhu Xuanning pushed away the hand he raised, sniffed, and lowered her head even further.
She leaned closer, took Song Zhaohan's hand in her arms, and gently blew on it. Her innocent almond-shaped eyes reddened, and she choked out in a childish voice, "Ah Zhao, it doesn't hurt anymore."
A slight shiver suddenly bloomed in Song Zhaohan's heart and spread instantly to every part of her body.
“When I was little, my mother was always by my side. If I fell and hurt myself, she would do this: she would blow on it and comfort me, and then it wouldn’t hurt anymore.” As Zhu Xuanning murmured, a tear fell and accidentally landed on Song Zhaohan’s hand. She immediately wiped it away in a panic and roughly bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding. She didn’t forget to say in a choked voice, “Zhaohan, are you feeling better?”
Song Zhaohan cried until her eyes were red with heartache, and pulled Zhu Xuanning into her arms.
"I'm not in pain anymore." He wiped away Zhu Xuanning's tears and said softly, "A-Ning, I'll comfort you from now on."
With tears in her eyes, Zhu Xuanning responded and took the initiative to hug Song Zhaohan. Like a cat, she gently buried her face in his broad chest and rubbed against him affectionately: "Ah Zhao, hurry up and treat your wounds."
Song Zhaohan's fluctuating emotions finally found a foothold in the girl's soft words.
He responded softly, told Zhu Xuanning to crawl back into bed, and then left the room.
When Song Zhaohan found Ji Yucheng, he was carving a piece of wood, while Yu Xuan was sitting in the courtyard looking through past exam papers. Both of them were engrossed in their work and did not look up.
Yu Xuan looked at Song Zhaohan when the flowing air carried a strong smell of blood.
Ji Yucheng then put down the carving knife in his hand.
"I'm fine," Song Zhaohan said to Yu Xuan, then walked up to Ji Yucheng and extended her hand: "Give me a bandage."
Ji Yucheng pulled over the medical kit and used scissors to cut open the blood-soaked silk cloth covering Song Zhaohan: "Have someone bring me the boiled and cooled water from my room."
When the servant brought over a basin of clean water, Ji Yucheng grabbed Song Zhaohan's hand and put it into the basin, signaling the servant to keep pouring water onto Song Zhaohan's wound.
Ji Yucheng, with a cloth wrapped in medicine that had been boiled in water, washed Song Zhaohan's wound with the dripping water, which was instantly stained red with blood.
Song Zhaohan was in so much pain that she almost couldn't help but pull her hand back, gasping for breath as she asked, "You really aren't intentionally getting revenge on me?"
Ji Yucheng glanced coldly at Song Zhaohan, her expression unchanged: "If you say another word, I can hit you even harder."
Song Zhaohan gritted her teeth and remained silent.
"It's going to hurt even more from here on out," Yu Xuan said sympathetically as he watched Ji Yucheng wipe his hands clean, fetch a porcelain bottle, and pour hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder onto the gauze.
Song Zhaohan's back was already soaked with sweat. After listening to Yu Xuan's words, she was so listless that she could only lift her eyelids slightly and could not make any more movements.
By the time Ji Yucheng finished bandaging her wounds, Song Zhaohan had already suffered greatly and was leaning weakly against Yu Xuan.
Ji Yucheng glanced at Yu Xuan, who understood and asked, "What kind of injury is that? How did you get it like this?"
Song Zhaohan was pale and too weak to speak; a servant was wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"A sword wound," Ji Yucheng answered Yu Xuan's first question.
After a while, Song Zhaohan suppressed the pain and spoke: "I questioned her sincerity, and she drew her sword, wanting to cut out her heart to prove her innocence. I stopped her, and this is how it happened."
Yu Xuan's gaze changed, and Ji Yucheng's hand, which was fiddling with the medicine bottle, stopped.
"She had only recently recovered from her illness when she fell into the water and was frightened again. Such emotional ups and downs can only do her harm, and may even cause her to fall ill again. Don't you know that?" Ji Yucheng's voice was even colder than usual.
Song Zhaohan lowered her head, unusually refraining from rebuttal.
"Don't upset her for a while, and you should rest and recover as well. Don't touch this hand." After saying this, Ji Yucheng sat back down and continued carving with her tools.
"Is there any way to heal my hand in the next two days?" Song Zhaohan asked.
"What are you going to do?" Ji Yucheng's hands continued moving.
“I begged my uncle for a favor, and in a few days the imperial decree for my post will be issued, and I will go to Jiangnan.” Song Zhaohan paused for a moment: “This time, I injured my right hand. If it doesn’t heal quickly, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold a sword.”
"You're only saying this now?" Ji Yucheng said coldly.
"I was thinking of telling you after the imperial edict was issued," Song Zhaohan said, her brows furrowed and her voice softening.
“There’s no way to heal it immediately. The wound is too deep. I’m just a miracle doctor, not a god,” Ji Yucheng said coldly.
"If all else fails, we'll ask the imperial court to give you a different position." Yu Xuan had heard about what happened in Jiangnan. The Jiangnan Inspectorate had embezzled a lot of money and had also been implicated in a scandal involving the substitution of officials for other positions.
The evidence was not difficult to find. Song Zhaohan's trip was just to go through the motions, and then weigh the options according to the Emperor's will, deciding which should be severely punished and which should be leniently punished. If she handled it well, she could become a high-ranking official with real power.
However, this is also risky. Traveling by water has been dangerous lately. I heard that the matriarch of the Mei family went to the capital and, even with the help of people on the official road, encountered river bandits.
“No.” Song Zhaohan refused.
"When did you become so serious?" Ji Yucheng said calmly, glancing at him. Seeing how concerned her friend was, her coldness subsided somewhat, and she told a servant to bring over a brush and ink.
"I promised to marry her, so I have to do something worthwhile and get an official position before I'll be qualified to sit at the table with my elders to discuss the marriage." Song Zhaohan changed her usual carefree demeanor, and her beautiful face was full of determination and seriousness.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yucheng nearly broke the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and even the ink splashed from the brush tip became frivolous.
"Take it orally, three times a day. Although it won't cure you in two days, it can shorten the process." Ji Yucheng slapped the prescription onto Song Zhaohan's servant, then rummaged through his medical kit and threw a medicine bottle into Song Zhaohan's arms: "Pain reliever. Take one before taking the sword to stop the pain. It will hinder recovery, so don't use too much."
After giving his instructions, Ji Yucheng immediately dismissed them: "If there's nothing else, please leave."
"I have other things to do," Song Zhaohan said.
Ji Yucheng found Song Zhaohan's voice repulsive and didn't want to listen to it.
"Please take good care of Aning for me." He earnestly instructed, his gaze softening when he mentioned Zhu Xuanning: "I'll treat you to a drink later."
Ji Yucheng was even more annoyed with him after hearing this.
"You should rest. Take these few days to get ready and say goodbye to your sweetheart." Yu Xuan smiled, glanced at Ji Yucheng who was silently getting his braces made, and lowered his voice to defend him: "Yucheng hates trouble the most. Originally, Miss Zhu could have returned to the manor to recuperate after seven days. But with your instructions, we don't know how long Jingzhi will keep her here."
Song Zhaohan was persuaded by Yu Xuan, and the last bit of annoyance in her heart disappeared. She looked at the taciturn Ji Yucheng with guilt and said, "Yucheng, thank you for your trouble."
Ji Yucheng really wanted to tell him to get lost, but she held back in the end, her voice icy: "If there are any precious medicinal herbs in the South, bring me back a few boatloads."
"Okay." Upon hearing that Ji Yucheng had a request, Song Zhaohan smiled and agreed.
Yu Xuan analyzed the situation in Jiangnan for Song Zhaohan. Ji Yucheng quietly carved the instrument without saying a word. When Song Zhaohan left to rest, Yu Xuan said, "After A Zhao takes power, will she really be able to sit at the table and discuss things with the Princess and the others?"
He was the emperor's favored nephew, the only son of the eldest princess, and the sole heir of the Duke of Sheng's mansion. How could he possibly marry a cousin from the lowest rung of the Qingliu faction?
Ji Yucheng listened to Yu Xuan's words and remained silent for a long time.
Both fell silent and went about their own business. Only after Ji Yucheng finished carving the support in his hand did he get up.
Yu Xuan watched Ji Yucheng leave, and lost all interest in studying.
In the detached house with blue tiles, Po Mo wiped her face with a warm handkerchief, then massaged her acupoints. Zhu Xuanning, who had experienced great emotional ups and downs, was overcome with sleepiness and slowly closed her eyes.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt her blankets being pulled to one side, and a cool breeze blew in. She kicked her feet uneasily and woke up from her sleep.
A muffled groan came from the room. Zhu Xuanning rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.
Caught off guard by the kick, Ji Yucheng fell to the ground, covering his nose. His clear eyes were glazed over, only belatedly becoming misty.
Ji Yucheng righted the fallen stool, sat down on it, and opened the first-aid kit: "Sit over here now that you're awake. Put your feet on the mat, and I'll put on the brace."
Zhu Xuanning then understood why Ji Yucheng had come to the room.
Her eyes flickered slightly, and she obediently sat up, stretching out her fair, delicate feet.
Perhaps it was the cold air, but her fair and round toes curled inwards unconsciously. Ji Yucheng clearly lowered his eyes and dared not look at her, but such a seductive little movement still inevitably entered his field of vision.
The boy suddenly froze, almost embarrassed, and looked away.
"Don't move." Ji Yucheng pressed down on Zhu Xuanning's foot, her fingertips trembling slightly.
"I didn't move," Zhu Xuanning said softly, her gaze falling on the boy's reddened nose.
She leaned forward, and her ink-black hair slipped down her shoulders, a few strands softly piling up on Ji Yucheng's white jade lotus crown.
"Did I kick your nose?" Zhu Xuanning extended her white, jade-like index finger and carefully touched Ji Yucheng's nose.
Her skin was warm and smooth, yet it felt like it was burning with starlight, making Ji Yucheng's body stiffen.
His face remained indifferent and devoid of desire, but his thick eyelashes trembled slightly as he quickened the pace of binding the braces.
After tying the last ribbon, Ji Yucheng hurriedly got up, only thinking about leaving as soon as possible, but he unexpectedly bumped into the girl's chin.
A whimper of pain rang out as Zhu Xuanning clutched her throbbing chin, her eyes brimming with tears as she accused him, "You bumped into me, and I accidentally bit my tongue. It hurts so much."
Ji Yucheng, who was about to turn around, grabbed the strap of the medical kit and tensed her jaw.
"Yu Cheng." It was called again, the girl's voice delicate and trembling, yet it was captivating.
Ji Yucheng lost her grip and was defeated.
"Open your mouth." He turned around, his eyes cold, and gently pinched the girl's lips with two fingers before bending down.
Zhu Xuanning obediently opened her mouth and stuck out her pink tongue, the tip of which was bleeding.
"It's not serious, I'll apply some ointment for you in a bit." Ji Yucheng's attention shifted to the wound, she examined it carefully, and then let go of his hand.
Seeing that he was about to leave again, Zhu Xuanning became determined and insisted on grabbing his robe.
Ji Yucheng tugged at his sleeve, then, worried that he might pull the person off the couch too hard, he sighed unusually: "Is there anything else?"
“No medicine is without bitterness,” Ji Yucheng added. “If you are willing to suffer for several days before you recover, then it’s fine not to apply the medicine.”
Zhu Xuanning frowned, caught in a dilemma.
Ji Yucheng tugged at her sleeve again, but found she still couldn't leave: "After you apply the medicine, I'll have a servant bring you some candy to sweeten your mouth."
Zhu Xuanning lowered her head, still clutching his sleeve and remaining silent.
"Is there anything else?" Ji Yucheng had no other choice but to ask her.
It would have been better if she hadn't asked. Once she did, Zhu Xuanning turned into a fragile glass, her eyes welling up with tears.
A flicker of emotion finally appeared in Ji Yucheng's eyes: "Why are you crying?"
Zhu Xuanning looked up at him, then let go of his hand this time, turned her back, and leaned against the headboard, sobbing.
Ji Yucheng was stunned for a moment, forgetting to leave because of Zhu Xuanning's crying. After regaining her senses, she finally managed to find a piece of cloth in the medical kit and handed it to Zhu Xuanning, but Zhu Xuanning brushed it away.
The fabric fluttered to the ground, and Ji Yucheng bent down to pick it up.
"You avoid me like the plague, so why do you care if I cry?"
Even if I cry until my tears run dry, it has nothing to do with you.
Zhu Xuanning had clearly seen Ji Yucheng's wavering, so how could she be willing to let him back down again? She was determined to break through this thin layer of ambiguity.
Ji Yucheng clenched his fingers as he picked up the fabric, his eyelashes trembled, and a hint of struggle flickered in his indifferent eyes.
After a long silence, Ji Yucheng finally spoke: "Miss Zhu, I have not avoided you like the plague. You are A Zhao's beloved. I am only worried that I have offended you."
"Offense? Now that we're in the same room, you call it offense if you look at me? Then what about when my clothes were soaking wet, and you saw it all and touched places you shouldn't have? Shouldn't that be called frivolousness?" Zhu Xuanning gritted her teeth, her crying voice trembling and rising.
Ji Yucheng lowered his head, his eyes suddenly darkening, but he remained silent for a long time.
The only sound in the room was the girl's sobbing, which was heartbreaking.
"Go out, Yu Cheng. I lost my composure and had delusions." Zhu Xuanning finally gave up, leaning over the headboard and burying herself in the brocade quilt, weeping like a pitiful little animal.
Zhu Xuanning's words reached Ji Yucheng's ears, and he was stunned and suddenly remembered Yu Xuan's previous question.
The answer that had been left unsaid finally surfaced at this moment.
Song Zhaohan is destined not to marry Miss Zhu.
What about him? Unlike A-Zhao, his parents were enshrined in the ancestral hall, and no one stopped him.
"No." Ji Yucheng finally faced up to his broken desires and answered her.
But Zhu Xuanning was crying so hard she couldn't breathe and didn't hear Ji Yucheng's reply.
Zhu Xuanning didn't hear it until Ji Yucheng stood up and pushed aside the blankets she was clutching tightly in her hands.
Ji Yucheng gently stroked Zhu Xuanning's back, pressing and kneading her acupoints to ease her grief: "I thought you and A Zhao were deeply in love, so I dared not have any feelings for you, afraid that if I looked at you again, I would fall in love."
His voice was like cold jade, yet it carried a hint of warmth.
Zhu Xuanning slowly stopped crying, but her body was still trembling: "Really?"
She asked, her voice choked with emotion, as if she couldn't believe it.
"Yes," Ji Yucheng replied curtly to Zhu Xuanning, her eyes turning icy cold.
"But I don't like Song Zhaohan." Before Ji Yucheng could ask, Zhu Xuanning sobbed as she expressed her disgust.
"Why?" Ji Yucheng asked.
"He took advantage of my beauty, used his power to oppress me, disregarded my wishes, and took me away from me. I hate him and only want to stay away from him. How could I like him?" Zhu Xuanning said, then thought of Tang Luan's fate, and felt a slight pain in her heart.
The emotion in Ji Yucheng's eyes faded, and he understood. Miss Zhu was just afraid of A Zhao and wanted to use him to escape A Zhao's control.
In Miss Zhu's eyes, he was no different from A Zhao, who had fallen in love and decided to give up his life of pleasure and debauchery.
For the first time ever, Zhu Xuanning was genuinely shocked and flustered. She stopped crying, her face turned pale, and her pale lips showed faint teeth marks.
She never imagined that Ji Yucheng, who had never experienced love but had already taken the bait, would be so insightful, guessing almost everything without saying a word.
After a flurry of thoughts, Zhu Xuanning quickly came up with a solution. She covered her mouth and gripped the wooden edge of the bed tightly with one hand to suppress her sobs: "I'm sorry."
Zhu Xuanning lowered her head, her hair loose and dark, obscuring her face, revealing only a pitiful blush around her eyes. Her voice was broken: "That's really what I think. I hate him, but I don't hate you. I'm just hoping you'll help me, to use your influence to leave Song Zhaohan."
“I am this kind of person. Now that you see it clearly, just leave. I don’t ask for anything else. I only ask that you, for the sake of that accident by the stream, don’t tell Song Zhaohan about it, and forget about what happened today.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and dripped from between her fingers, forming a small puddle on the ground. The more Zhu Xuanning cried, the more desperate she became, sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe.
Ji Yucheng stood in front of her, the coldness on his face gradually fading.
A very soft sigh came from above Zhu Xuanning's head, and her long black hair was brushed aside with fingers.
Ji Yucheng bent down, clutching the cloth, and gently pulled away Zhu Xuanning's hand covering her face, wiping away her tears. Her voice, though as cold as snow, had a touch more warmth than before: "When have I ever refused you?"
Before Zhu Xuanning could react, she looked at him in a daze. Ji Yucheng brushed her stray hairs behind her ear, his face devoid of desire, but his actions already hinted at something more intimate: "I promise you, just give me some time."
Zhu Xuanning stared at him blankly, then her eyes lit up.
"Yu Cheng, you're so good." Zhu Xuanning finally smiled through her tears, throwing herself into his arms with tears in her eyes, and hugging him tightly for fear that he would change his mind.
Caught off guard, Ji Yucheng pondered for a long time before finally embracing the girl's soft waist.
Her faint fragrance mingled with the medicinal scent in the room, instantly captivating Ji Yucheng's mind.
A Zhao was driven by lust at first sight, but wasn't he also bewitched by desire?
Ji Yucheng stroked Zhu Xuanning's black hair, not wanting Zhu Xuanning to realize his thoughts.
Even after entering the Dao, he was still not pure of heart and desire, and even developed feelings for his friend's sweetheart.
When Ji Yucheng returned to the courtyard, her ears were flushed. Yu Xuan glanced at her, then lowered his head and turned to the next paper: "I'll stay here for a few days to have some peace and quiet, and then I'll leave during the palace examination."
Ji Yucheng responded, put down his medical kit, took out three copper coins in turn, and began to cast a divination.
The sound of the copper coins, which would ring out rhythmically after a while, distracted Yu Xuan. He said helplessly, "Yu Cheng, you should only do one thing at a time. How did you break the rule?"
In traditional divination using the six lines method, the coins are tossed only six times; however, Yu Xuan heard the three copper coins ring thirty-six times.
Ji Yucheng's brows furrowed with unusual annoyance: "I know."
It must be because he did not bathe and burn incense.
Thinking this, Ji Yucheng grabbed the copper coin and walked out.
The Xuan paper with the hexagram drawn on it floated to the ground. Yu Xuan walked over, picked it up, glanced at it a few times, chuckled, and then put the Xuan paper back on Ji Yucheng's empty table and weighed it down with a paperweight.
Exhausted, Ji Yucheng knelt before the prayer mat, wrote down the last divination result, and then gave up on using hand gestures.
The hexagrams differ, but the final result always points to "all for naught" and "what one desires cannot be obtained".
The following day, Ji Yucheng was much more silent when she administered acupuncture to Zhu Xuanning.
Zhu Xuanning didn't understand, and seeing that Ji Yucheng seemed to be backing down again, she angrily grabbed his collar.
Caught off guard, Ji Yucheng's medical kit rattled and crashed to the ground.
As Ji Yucheng fell, she swerved to the side, creating distance between herself and Zhu Xuanning.
But Zhu Xuanning didn't let him go. She moved closer, pressing against Ji Yucheng's shoulder, almost pressing down on him, and forcefully turned the boy's face towards her with her soft hands.
Ji Yucheng didn't want to look at her, so Zhu Xuanning grabbed his chin again. Finally, he simply closed his eyes and refused to look at Zhu Xuanning's face.
"Why are you ignoring me?"
She cried pitifully, her tears falling onto Ji Yucheng, sending shivers down her spine.
“If you don’t care about me, brush my face away, call me shameless, and slam the door and leave, instead of staying here with your eyes closed and not leaving, making me misunderstand.”
Ji Yucheng's eyelashes trembled, and when his fingertips were covered in tears, he had no choice but to open his eyes: "You don't have to do this. I will keep my promise to you."
Ji Yucheng withdrew her fingers, not wiping away Zhu Xuanning's tears, and forcefully turned her face away, ignoring her crying: "You are weak, and I was afraid of hurting you again, which is why I didn't refuse."
"Looking back now, it was my fault." Ji Yucheng pressed down on Zhu Xuanning's wrist to stop her from clinging to him. He lowered his gaze, tore open the clothes that were intertwined with Zhu Xuanning's, and got up with a rustling sound.
Even though the crying behind him disturbed him, Ji Yucheng pushed open the door and left.
He bumped into Song Zhaohan as soon as he stepped out, causing Ji Yucheng to pause in his steps and his emotions to fluctuate even more.
Song Zhaohan raised her eyes, stared at Ji Yucheng for a few moments, then looked away: "It's just acupuncture, but your clothes are in such a mess."
He spoke calmly, glancing inside out of the corner of his eye. Not hearing Ji Yucheng speak, he asked again, "Is A-Ning crying?"
"Hmm." Ji Yucheng's voice was as cold as usual. Song Zhaohan ignored him and walked straight into the room.
Even with the door closed, Ji Yucheng could hear soft whispers coming from inside the room, and soon the crying seemed to subside.
Ji Yucheng stopped listening, lowered her eyelashes, and left.
Amidst her sobs, Zhu Xuanning heard footsteps returning, but the frequency belonged to Song Zhaohan, not Ji Yucheng.
Her heart tightened; she wondered how long Song Zhaohan had been outside.
Song Zhaohan came in without saying a word, but sat quietly on the edge of the bed, staring at Zhu Xuanning for a while before lowering her head and gently patting her back.
"Yu Cheng." Song Zhaohan heard Zhu Xuanning calling another person's name, and the surging anger she felt was about to burst forth.
"I know a folk remedy for external wound healing. Could you please see if it can help Ah Zhao?"
"It's all my fault, I'm the one who hurt Ah Zhao."
The girl's cries were filled with intense emotion, making Song Zhaohan's heart ache and instantly dissipating all her dark and negative feelings.
Song Zhaohan reached out and pulled the blanket off the girl's head, then hugged her in her arms, her voice hoarse: "Don't cry, Aning, it's my fault, how could it be your fault?"
Zhu Xuanning's sobs suddenly choked, her misty eyes widened for a moment, and upon seeing that it was her beloved, she tightly gripped his clothes with her small hands and buried her face in his chest: "Ah Zhao."
Her voice trembled, choked with sobs, and the rest of her words were drowned out by Song Zhaohan's urgent kiss.
Only when the girl leaned softly against him, her fair wrists limp and unable to slip down, did Song Zhaohan come to his senses.
He grasped the wrist bone that had fallen between his legs, lifted it up and kissed it gently, his voice hoarse: "You idiot, even Yu Cheng couldn't do anything about it, what good is your earthen method?"
Zhu Xuanning's eyes were misty, and after gradually focusing, she lowered her head in disappointment: "I just wanted to help you."
Her voice was low and tinged with grievance, which softened Song Zhaohan's heart.
"Did Yu Cheng tell you everything?" Song Zhaohan asked.
Zhu Xuanning simply agreed in silence, not daring to say another word.
"So, Ah Ning cried because she knew she wouldn't see me and was worried about my safety on the journey, right?" Song Zhaohan's lips curled up uncontrollably, her heart overflowing with emotion.
Zhu Xuanning was stunned for a moment, then responded in an even lower voice. The blush spreading across her face was like a beautiful peach blossom in a spring forest, captivating and enchanting.
Song Zhaohan was so engrossed in watching that when he came to his senses, he had already intertwined her fingers and taken the sweet scent of the young girl.
The thin spring shirt rolled down, revealing her delicate and endearing collarbone. He bit down on that spot, and a plum blossom fell from her snow-white neck.
The surging desires trapped in that cage kept pounding against the edge of reason, and Song Zhaohan was about to lose her composure.
He buried his face in the girl's soft, fragrant neck, his voice hoarse and strained: "Ah Ning, when I return home from Jiangnan in glory, I will bring you home in a grand sedan chair, okay?"
Song Zhaohan's action of inserting Zhu Xuanning's fingers was somewhat forceful; even though they were already so intimate, he was still uneasy.
"Okay." He finally received a positive answer from Zhu Xuanning, not a question, nor a vague evasion.
Song Zhaohan laughed with great enthusiasm. When she met Yu Xuan, she even complained a few times about Ji Yucheng's quick tongue, which prevented him from personally telling A Ning about her trip to Jiangnan.
Ji Yucheng was pounding medicine with his head down. He didn't refute Song Zhaohan's words, but he just pounded the medicine harder.
“A-Ning has already agreed to our engagement.” Song Zhaohan’s eyes were bright yet full of affection. Then she smiled and said to the two of them, “When I return from Jiangnan, I will invite you to my residence for the engagement banquet.”
His tone was rising and confident.
Ji Yucheng threw the pestle into the mortar and turned to walk out with the mortar and pestle in her hand.
As Song Zhaohan watched, the smile on her face faded slightly.
Yu Xuan sighed and explained, "Don't pay any attention to Yu Cheng. He cast six divinations in front of me last night, and I heard he even knelt on a prayer mat to offer incense and cast divinations late into the night. He's still in a bad mood."
"What do you want to know?" Song Zhaohan's emotions calmed down, and she glanced at Ji Yucheng's back before asking.
Yu Xuan paused for a moment before replying, "I don't know, but there were many notes piled up on the table. The divination was probably because of the lessons assigned by my master."
"So that's how it is." After hearing this, Song Zhaohan felt sorry for Ji Yucheng, and his inexplicable emotions dissipated considerably, and the expression on his face relaxed.
As dusk settled and the moon hung low in the sky, Ji Yucheng entered Zhu Xuanning's courtyard once again.
This time, Zhu Xuanning ignored him, glanced at him, and then snuggled into Song Zhaohan's arms.
Ji Yucheng opened her medical kit, moved over a low stool, sat down, and took out her gold needles: "Ah Zhao, you should go out now."
He lowered his gaze, his tone cold yet brooking no argument.
Zhu Xuanning tugged at Song Zhaohan's sleeve, frowned, and gazed at him with a tender look, not wanting him to leave: "Ah Zhao."
"If you want her to recover slowly and avoid developing a chronic illness, you can keep her." Ji Yucheng made a gesture as if to retract the golden needle in his hand.
"I didn't refuse to leave, don't misunderstand Yu Cheng." Song Zhaohan, who was unwilling, could only get up, and then gently coaxed Zhu Xuanning: "Take good care of your health."
Only when the two of them were left in the room did Zhu Xuanning sit up. She gently pulled her thin shirt up, leaned against the headboard with one hand, her black hair hanging loosely. Looking at Ji Yucheng, her face no longer showed the delicate and fragile look she had just had.
Ji Yucheng simply took the gold needles as usual to remove her brace, but was kicked instead.
Her small, white foot kicked his cheek, but it was soft and weak.
"Don't move." Ji Yucheng's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't get angry. She repeated what she had said many times before.
"I don't need your acupuncture anymore." Zhu Xuanning's voice was emotionless and somewhat cold, but still pleasant to hear.
Ji Yucheng held down the leg that she had kicked at him, and then continued to unfasten her braces; both of the girl's feet were under his control.
“If you don’t get acupuncture and just wear a brace, relying solely on medication will be slow to take effect, and your blood and qi will easily stagnate in the injured area,” Ji Yucheng explained patiently.
“I know, Ah Zhao told me.” Zhu Xuanning paused for a moment, “I just didn’t want you to treat me.”
Ji Yucheng's eyelashes suddenly trembled: "Miss Zhu, don't joke around with your health."
“Song Ming can’t find anyone better than me,” Ji Yucheng added.
"I know, as long as it can heal my leg, that's fine. I'll beg him to find me a doctor, and he'll definitely agree," Zhu Xuanning said, trying to provoke Ji Yucheng, as he didn't get his way.
Ji Yucheng suddenly threw the golden needle in his hand into the basin. Amidst the mournful clanging, he raised his eyes, which were filled with emotion.
"What do you want?" Ji Yucheng looked at her, her voice as clear as jade.
Zhu Xuanning looked at him and laughed, a hint of mockery in her voice: "What are you talking about? What do you mean I should do? Why are you getting angry at me again? Why are you giving me that look?"
Ji Yucheng was aware of her loss of composure, but she still said, word by word, "I told you, you didn't need to do this. I will free you from Song Ming's control."
"Don't risk your health and reputation just to spite me."
If Song Ming hires a doctor for her, the Duke's mansion won't interfere. But if Song Ming wants to marry her, the Duke's mansion can find out about hiring a doctor in secret.
Everyone knows that the young master is a dissolute playboy. So what if the medical record says it's a foot injury? Powerful people have plenty of ways to change things up. If they can't force Song Ming to give up his idea, they can create a rumor to completely ruin Zhu Xuanning's reputation and force her to be unable to marry.
She was already walking on thin ice in the mansion; once she made this move, how could she possibly have a peaceful end to her life?
Ji Yucheng didn't want to see her like this.
Zhu Xuanning remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, before finally holding back her tears and saying, "So what? Ever since I got involved with Song Zhaohan, what reputation do I have left? If he can't marry me, does he expect me to marry someone else?"
"Now I understand that after my cousin was chosen, it was my turn. Madam Zhu didn't like me. When she brought me to the capital, she only provided a coachman and an old nanny. My cousin went to a girls' school, but she only hired a mother for me and taught me how to please noble people."
"I used your influence to escape him, but what good does it do? Who can take care of me forever? Perhaps the person who takes me in later won't be as good as Song Ming."
Zhu Xuanning smiled self-deprecatingly, picked up a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, revealing the red mark on her jade-like neck, glaring and irritating. Together with the girl's self-mocking words, it instantly crushed Ji Yucheng's mind.
Before Ji Yucheng could regain his senses, he had already touched the jade-like neck with the plum blossoms outlining the red marks, his eyes surging with emotion.
The touch of their skin caused the girl to tremble and shrink back.
Zhu Xuanning's eyes were misty as she turned her face away, trying her best to avoid Ji Yucheng's touch.
"Get out of here." She was utterly disgusted, but her voice already had a nasal tone.
Ji Yucheng sensed Zhu Xuanning's emotions. He withdrew his hand and didn't dare to touch her again. When the young man lowered his eyes, his black hair fell down to cover his cold and snow-like face.
"He did it?" Ji Yucheng asked in a completely flat tone.
Zhu Xuanning didn't answer, but her tears had already fallen onto Ji Yucheng's hand.
She tilted her head back, her lips bitten so hard they left teeth marks, yet she refused to make a sound. Though she was clearly on the verge of collapse, she stubbornly held on, clutching the blankets tightly in her hands.
Ji Yucheng saw it out of the corner of her eye, reached out to touch Zhu Xuanning's lips, and was bitten hard.
The stinging pain finally made him lose his self-control. Ji Yucheng did not pull his hand away, letting Zhu Xuanning bite him to vent her emotions, not wanting her to hurt herself: "I am willing to have a contractual marriage with you, so that he will never dare to bully you again."
“Miss Zhu, I can make a three-point agreement with you and give you the maximum freedom.”
I will not touch you for the next two years. If you cannot win my heart, I will give you a divorce certificate when the agreement is up. If you do not wish to leave, you can be my wife for life, but then I will touch you.
If you don't believe me, I can write a contract in duplicate later, witnessed by Yu Er, and submit it to the government for record-keeping.
This was the biggest concession Ji Yucheng had made. He felt the girl who had been biting his finger loosen her grip, and when he looked up at her again, Zhu Xuanning was wiping her lips and sobbing with tears streaming down her face.
She neither nodded nor refused, but choked out, "You saw through my previous schemes, so why are you so overly kind and pitying me?"
“I’m not pitying you.” Ji Yucheng wiped away Zhu Xuanning’s tears, his usually cold face unusually serious: “I’m just speaking from the heart.”
“Miss Zhu, if I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t have complied with you and cooperated with you when I saw that you were seducing me; and I wouldn’t have made such a promise to you after knowing that Song Ming sincerely wanted to marry you.”
Ji Yucheng knew he was bewitched; a girl he had only known for a few days could make him abandon a friendship he had cherished for years.
Even though the divination was extremely inauspicious, the process was full of twists and turns and the desire was ultimately unfulfilled, he still did it despite knowing it was impossible, simply because he liked it and simply because he did not believe in fate.
Author's Note: Please add "Cold-hearted Brother Becomes Obsessive Husband" to your collection for pre-order!
Xie Tangxi had fair skin and a delicate face. She was pampered and spoiled since childhood. The biggest change in her life was when she was six years old and was kidnapped and sold to Jiangnan to become a child bride for a marriage of convenience.
Xie Tangxi was filled with both hatred and fear, yet she had no choice but to soften her voice, take the sickly man's hand, and call him "brother" in a flattering tone.
Wen Jixue is a person who confines himself to his sick body and is not free. He hates studying, is misanthropic, and has volatile emotions. He feels that all those feelings and loves are burdens.
When the little girl first met Xie Tangxi, she was trembling with fear, but she still pretended to like him and called him softly, which annoyed Wen Jixue.
To appease his elders, he led her into the courtyard, but from then on, Wen Jixue ignored her.
When she saw Xie Tangxi again, she had fallen into the water. The little girl was curled up on the bed with a fever. She held his hand and cried, calling him "Mother".
Wen Jixue was angry and disgusted, clenching her fists, but she couldn't push her away.
From that night on, he had a little tail following him around who needed to be taken care of.
Wen Jixue didn't understand why a little girl would ask him such strange questions. Wen Jixue was annoyed by this, but he had no choice but to pick up his books and study again.
At first, Wen Jixue just wanted the little girl to shut up, and he did succeed.
But one day, the little girl stood on a small stool, leaned against his window, and softly asked him, "Brother, what is love?"
Wen Jixue spent the whole night flipping through books, but still couldn't find the standard answer to this question.
It wasn't until he rode his horse through the streets that he saw her, her face flushed and her smile as beautiful as a flower, looking at another young man.
Wen Jixue finally learned the answer to that question.
*Synopsis as of June 21, 2025. Subject to change. Happy ending, sweet and sour, likely a short story. (?)
*In response to the fight against human trafficking, the Wen family dealt with the traffickers, but did not inform the female protagonist.
*A story about a sickly and cold-hearted top scholar who pursues his wife relentlessly.
*The female lead remarries the male lead (currently tentative, may be changed after the story begins). She initially only regarded the male lead as an older brother, but later developed feelings for him over time.
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