Chapter 25 Trust and Suspicion
Si Tu Zhaoling stared in shock at the enormous phantom of the god until the phoenix placed her on the ground and flew away, only then did she come back to her senses.
The surrounding area was a pure white space, with white clouds and mist at the left and right ends, and a tall, unseen dragon-shaped jade pillar hidden within them.
A few steps in front of her was a long white jade table and a wide chair of the same material.
A dozen or so feet further ahead, the clouds and mist flowed leisurely like a gauze curtain, interspersed with plum blossoms, and a gust of wind brought with it a fragrant aroma.
Si Tu Zhaoling felt that her mind had become much clearer.
Chu Jiubian looked down at her.
When Jiang Shuoye entered the Divine Realm earlier, he was wearing the clothes he used to sleep in. Therefore, Chu Jiubian was a little worried about what would happen if a young lady also came in wearing her nightgown. Fortunately, the system said that it would automatically replenish the clothes for the believers.
What did you wear during the day, and what will you wear after entering the divine realm?
Now, Si Tu Zhaoling is wearing the same crimson-purple dress with distinctive Southern Xinjiang characteristics that she wore during the day. It consists of a top and a skirt, with white tassels hanging from the hem, and a large silver necklace around her neck, which is exquisitely crafted.
She had long, thick, jet-black hair, half of which was styled into a bun and the other half left loose. Pale purple pearl jewelry dangled from her bun, and two silver hairpins swayed gently.
Noticing that the enormous statue was looking down at him, the tangible gaze and terrifying pressure made Si Tu Zhaoling involuntarily clench his fists, his heart trembling slightly.
The distant roar of the dragon echoed for a long time.
She heard a detached male voice coming from the shadowy figure.
"Welcome to my divine realm."
Divine Realm?
Countless thoughts flashed through Si Tu Zhaoling's mind in an instant.
In ancient times, immortals would appear in dreams to impart knowledge; could she have been chosen by the gods as well?!
My heart is pounding like a drum.
She cautiously asked, "Are you a deity?"
Her voice was clear and bright, and her tone was full of awe.
Perhaps because she knew from the beginning that she was dreaming, and that she had been brought here by a divine bird like the "phoenix," or perhaps because the southern border region was more superstitious about ghosts and gods, she was not as wary as Jiang Shuoye, and seemed to easily associate it with immortals.
This saved Chu Jiubian a lot of trouble, and he was even more satisfied with his second believer.
“I knew you were in trouble, so I came to help you.” His voice echoed.
The severe drought in southern Xinjiang is certainly a cause for concern.
Si Tu Zhaoling immediately thought of the matter that had been troubling her for many days and quickly straightened her expression.
She knelt down on the ground, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and performed the salute of the southern tribes.
“My daughter is indeed in trouble right now,” Si Tu Zhaoling said sincerely. “There has been no rain in the southern border region for many days, and the rivers are drying up. There is a fear of drought.”
"It's just that the imperial court is doing nothing, and my parents are honest and upright. They haven't collected much grain tax or money on a regular basis, so they can't afford to give so much grain for disaster relief. Please help the people of the southern border!"
Since his father and mother got married, his maternal grandfather's family, who were the village chiefs, became an inseparable part of the Southern Border Royal Palace.
They never exploited the people under their rule.
Because the southern border region has always enjoyed favorable weather and has not experienced any disasters for nearly a century, the chieftain and the king of the southern border region only collect half of the annual tax revenue, which is handed over to the imperial court. The other half has never been collected in full, and most of the grain and money are actually in the hands of the people themselves.
This resulted in the public granaries in southern Xinjiang actually having very little surplus grain. Even if porridge were distributed on a large scale, it wouldn't last more than a few days, and it wouldn't be enough to withstand such a large-scale drought.
Grain merchants in southern Xinjiang are well aware of this situation; grain prices have already begun to rise, and once the people have finished consuming their old grain, prices will definitely rise even more.
Baili Hao could naturally use his power to pressure those grain merchants and prevent them from raising prices.
But merchants are driven by profit, and other southern regions near southern Xinjiang are also suffering from drought, with grain prices remaining high. These grain merchants will definitely go to other places.
By then, there would be nowhere to buy grain in southern Xinjiang, no matter where you wanted to.
Although my mother has been praying for rain for several days, the crops are basically dead now, and even a few more days of heavy rain won't save them.
Therefore, Si Tu Zhaoling was not asking Chu Jiubian to bring rain, but rather to help him get through this drought. Whether it was offering advice, donating food, or anything else, anything that could save the people was fine.
"This humble woman is willing to serve you, I only ask that you bestow blessings upon me!"
She solemnly promised and kowtowed three times to Chu Jiubian.
The white mist, like a pair of large hands, gently helped her up.
Chu Jiubian said, "There's no need for that. I already know your difficulties."
Si Tu Zhaoling stood up and looked up at him, her eyes filled with both anticipation and nervousness.
Chu Jiubian pondered deeply.
The situation in the southern border region was worse than he had anticipated. A little food was not enough to help them get through the drought, so the king of the southern border region petitioned the court for grain, which meant he was truly out of options.
He doesn't have enough faith points to buy much food right now.
It seems I need to find a way to earn more points.
His gaze fell on Si Tu Zhaoling, but after thinking about it, he decided against it; he couldn't let her help him gain fame.
As a deity, it is beneath one's dignity to demand things without giving them.
If he doesn't lay a good foundation from the start, and later wants Si Tu Zhaoling to help him do business, make money, and expand his reputation, he might have to use something else to make the deal.
This is not what he wants to see. What he wants is for believers to work for him voluntarily and without expecting anything in return.
There's no hope for faith points in the Southern Frontier for the time being, and even if we put in our best effort, we won't get many faith points in the capital, so only the Northern Desert remains.
Jiang Shuoye should also fulfill some of the duties of a believer, such as helping with "missionary work".
Chu Jiubian had made some plans in mind, and said to Si Tu Zhaoling, "Ten days later, I will call you again to help you get through this difficult time."
A look of surprise flashed in Si Tu Zhaoling's bright eyes, and she quickly bowed in greeting: "Thank you, Your Excellency!"
Then she hurriedly asked, "May I ask how you are addressed?"
Suddenly her vision was filled with white mist, and she felt as if her body was floating lightly.
The pale moonlight streamed into the bedroom, illuminating the girl's beautiful sleeping face.
Her long eyelashes trembled, and the girl suddenly opened her eyes.
Si Tu Zhaoling jumped out of bed and looked around.
She was perfectly awake, her eyes were bright, and she showed no signs of the drowsiness she usually felt when she first woke up.
The god's deep voice still echoed in his ears: "I am the High Priest."
"High Priestess," she murmured the title, her heart resonating deeply.
No, she has to go find her mother!
She hurriedly got up and dressed, and then, ignoring that it was already past midnight, ran straight to the courtyard where her parents were.
The maid on night duty hurried to follow, but she stopped her: "You go to sleep, I'm going to find my mother."
During this period, the princess kept having nightmares. After waking up, she would go to find the Holy Maiden and then stay in the main courtyard, never to return.
The young maid was worried, so she followed the princess all the way until she saw that the princess had indeed entered the main courtyard before she felt relieved and went back.
Si Tuanli and Baili Hao couldn't sleep well at night, so they decided not to sleep at all and instead snuggled up on the headboard, talking in hushed tones.
They had previously thought that if the people had surplus money and grain, their lives would be more comfortable. But now they truly regret not building larger public granaries and not collecting more grain from the people.
The people of southern Xinjiang are used to a good life and never skimp on food. They also rely on the harvest of each season, as there have been no disasters for many years. They don't keep much old grain in their hands.
Now that the new grain harvest is failing, people are starting to think about saving on food and drink.
Even so, their remaining grain supplies won't last long. People have already started buying grain to eat, and grain merchants are gradually raising prices.
If this continues, the village will soon need to open its granaries and distribute grain.
However, the grain in the granary wouldn't last long at all.
Baili Hao had considered buying some grain from other places, but Guizhou, Sichuan, and Huguang, which were closer to them, were also suffering from disasters.
To get enough food, they need to go to Henan or Jiangxi soon.
This involves two or three regions, and it would take an unknown amount of time to travel back and forth. The cost in money and manpower would also be higher than buying grain directly from grain merchants.
"If only the imperial court could send grain over." Si Tuanli leaned against the headboard, a small emerald green snake coiled around her arm.
She gently stroked the little snake's head, her brow furrowed.
Southern Zhili was under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. This year, it not only did not suffer from disasters, but it was also a rare year of bumper harvest.
According to reports, the early rice harvest should have already begun there.
If the imperial court could transfer grain from Southern Zhili to the southern border, it would only take a month for grain prices to stabilize, thus relieving their urgent crisis.
Baili Hao raised his hand and gently smoothed her furrowed brows, saying softly, "The grain is being transported from Southern Zhili, and it passes through Huguang and Guizhou along the way. Guizhou is under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, so we'll leave that aside for now. But the King of Huguang won't allow the grain to be safely transported from his territory to the Southern Frontier."
Si Tuanli scoffed lightly, "Insatiable greed."
The land of Huguang had bountiful harvests year after year, and the grain tax was plentiful, but when it was handed over to the imperial court, the amount was never enough, and they complained of poverty all day long.
Therefore, the grain and money that should have been handed over to the imperial court ended up in the pockets of the Prince of Huguang. The local army was expanded time and time again, and granaries were built one after another.
Everyone knows he is incredibly wealthy, with countless granaries and chests.
Even if he distributed porridge every day, it would be easy for him to feed the people in his fiefdom for a year or two.
But everyone knows that, given Baili Yue's personality, he would not hesitate to give the grain to the soldiers, but he would be reluctant to give it to ordinary people.
And that is indeed the case.
Two months ago, when the drought had just started to take hold, Baili Yue submitted a memorial pleading poverty, asking the court for money, grain, and manpower to dig wells and dredge canals.
At that time, Emperor Yingzong was still on the throne. It seems that because he was wary of the more than 70,000 troops in Huguang under the other party's command, Emperor Yingzong actually sent money and grain to them.
Upon seeing this, Baili Hao naturally submitted a memorial to plead his case, but Emperor Yingzong had never been close to him and did not take him, a prince from a remote region, seriously, so he ignored him completely.
However, now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, the court will surely present a completely different picture.
Baili Hao was sent to the southern border by Emperor Chengzong before Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, so when the coup was launched in the capital, he was far away in the southern border, enjoying a leisurely life.
Although the Qin family helped Emperor Yingzong ascend the throne, their judgment of people was not very good. However, the Qin family had been loyal and virtuous for generations, and Baili Hao had a good impression of them. He was just not very familiar with Qin Xiao.
He had only heard that the other party was the idle eldest son of the Qin family, but now it seemed that Qin Xiao was definitely not stupid.
On the contrary, Qin Xiao was decisive, forceful, and ruthless.
The fact that he was able to stand out in the complex and entrenched capital and promote Baili Hong, who has Qin family blood, to the top is something that should not be underestimated.
Baili Hao was unsure of the other party's character, which is why he sent the memorial beforehand, just in case the other party really did transport grain for them.
But this possibility is extremely slim. Just as he said, the imperial grain would be intercepted by the Prince of Huguang on its way to the southern border, and not even a single grain would reach this place.
Baili Hao didn't have high hopes for this, saying, "The letter I sent to Fifth Brother should have arrived. I wonder if he can provide any surplus grain."
Prince Pingxi, Baili Zheng, was the fifth son of Baili Hao. They were the same age as each other. Their mothers came from similar backgrounds and had similar personalities, so they had a fairly good relationship in the palace and often visited each other. Thus, the two princes, the fifth and sixth, could be said to have grown up together.
Compared to their other brothers, the two of them were closer.
After they were granted fiefdoms, one was in the southern border region and the other in Sichuan, which were very close to each other. Therefore, although their interactions were not as frequent as when they were in the palace, they would still exchange letters a few times a year.
Now that Baili Hao has taken the initiative to ask, Baili Zheng will definitely share some of his surplus grain if he has any.
However, Sichuan is also suffering from disasters now, and its population is much larger than that of southern Xinjiang. Baili Hao can only try asking questions as a last resort.
"They must be struggling financially over there too," Si Tuanli sighed softly, gazing out through the open window where moonlight shone like gauze.
"My lord, Your Highness, the princess has arrived," a servant announced from outside.
"Ling'er?"
"Could it be a nightmare?"
The couple quickly got up, put on their coats, and went out.
As soon as he stepped outside, his daughter rushed up to him, and Si Tuanli immediately wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
The small snake that was coiled on Si Tu Anli's arm quickly swam to her shoulder, its tail wrapped around her neck, its little head tilted, its black bean eyes looking at Si Tu Zhaoling curiously.
Si Tu Zhaoling stepped back a little, grasped her mother's warm hands, and said excitedly, "Mother, I dreamt—"
It felt as if something was suddenly constricting her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She raised her hand in surprise to touch her throat: "What happened?"
The sound came back.
"What's wrong?" Si Tuanli hurriedly checked his daughter's neck, asking worriedly, "Is it a sore throat?"
"Summon the imperial physician," Baili Hao immediately ordered.
“Father, no need, I’m fine.” Si Tu Zhaoling stopped him.
The servant looked at Baili Hao, and seeing the prince wave his hand, he withdrew.
Si Tu Zhaoling thought her throat was dry from running too fast, so she paused for a moment before continuing, "It was just a dream—"
The sound got stuck in my throat again.
Si Tu Zhaoling noticed something was wrong.
She seemed unable to speak about the high priest.
Is this... the work of the gods?
Without the other party's permission, she couldn't even reveal their existence.
She had come to her mother hoping she could help with divination, but now that step was saved; she could already confirm the high priest's identity.
The other party must be a powerful deity who has come to help her overcome this difficulty!
In that case, the drought problem is truly solved!
Looking at his daughter's strange reactions and ever-changing expressions, Baili Hao frowned and asked, "Ling'er, what did you dream about?"
He had just heard his daughter say the word "dream".
These past few days, Si Tu Zhaoling has been having nightmares, which has been a great worry for Baili Hao. Now, it seems that his daughter is having another dream, but judging from her lively and energetic appearance, it shouldn't be a nightmare.
That's a good thing.
What kind of dream could possibly warrant her coming all the way here in the middle of the night just to tell them?
"I didn't dream about anything." Si Tu Zhaoling chuckled, her bright eyes looking at her parents, and said in a light tone, "Father and Mother, you should continue to rest. Ling'er will take her leave."
She reached out and gently tapped the little green snake's head twice: "Goodbye, Cui Cui."
The little snake flicked its tongue.
Si Tu Zhaoling smiled, turned around, and left the main courtyard like a gust of wind.
Baili Hong chuckled lightly: "This child, is he having a wonderful dream?"
"Perhaps." Si Tuanli watched her daughter's figure run away, her eyes bright, her heart pounding. Cui Cui slowly swam up to the top of her head and coiled up.
The auspicious star she divined the day before yesterday truly appeared in her daughter's dream.
Southern Xinjiang is saved.
Si Tu Zhaoling was so excited that she couldn't sleep.
A fairy appeared in her dream, and she was the chosen one!
Unfortunately, she had nowhere to express or show off her joy and pride, so she could only excitedly wander around the mansion.
No, she can't sleep; she needs to talk to someone.
Chu Jiubian looked at the card screen and saw his second believer hopping around like a rabbit, then dashing off to another courtyard.
The moonlight is very bright in southern Xinjiang tonight.
In the courtyard, a rustling sound could still be heard in the middle of the night, like a saw grinding wood.
Following Si Tu Zhaoling's figure, Chu Jiubian saw that there was indeed a young man in the courtyard who was rolling up his sleeves and sawing a wooden stick.
"Brother," Si Tu Zhaoling said with a smile, "you really haven't gone to sleep yet."
When her younger brother showed her the blueprints for that waterwheel today, she knew he probably wouldn't sleep tonight and would be studying it all night.
"Sister, why aren't you asleep either?" Si Tu Zhaoyao raised her hand to wipe her face.
Si Tu Zhaoling quickly handed over the handkerchief, saying, "You have sawdust on your hands."
Si Tu Zhaoyao took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She then put down what she was doing and sat down on the steps next to her sister.
When the siblings were standing, the younger brother, who had already started to grow taller, was clearly half a head taller.
But once they sat together, Chu Jiubian could see through the screen that the two people did indeed look very alike, almost as if they were carved from the same mold.
However, boys' bones tend to be stronger, while girls' bones are more delicate; both are beautiful.
The siblings chatted for a while, and Si Tu Zhaoyao talked about the waterwheel he was working on, fretting that something was not quite right, as if something was missing.
Chu Jiubian could only see some scattered pieces of wood through the screen; he couldn't see a complete waterwheel and didn't know whether the other party was making a dragon-bone waterwheel, a tubular waterwheel, or something else.
But regardless of which one it is, the person who thought of making a "waterwheel" was no ordinary talent.
Chu Jiubian opened the system store, searched for a while, and found books on agricultural tools.
The books are dozens of books, categorized in a very different way, and their contents also vary.
Moreover, because it involves tool drawings, the prices are very high.
Chu Jiubian felt a pang of heartache just looking at it, but he really had no idea how to make a waterwheel before, so he couldn't even offer advice to Si Tu Zhaoyao.
With limited points at hand, Chu Jiubian dared not spend them recklessly, so he decided to wait until the next time he summoned Si Tu Zhaoling to buy them.
It was getting late, so he stopped eavesdropping on the siblings' conversation, turned off the screen, and left the Divine Realm.
Instantly, a severe headache and a burning sensation throughout the body struck.
He opened his eyes and raised his hand to touch his forehead.
Because his hands were also hot, he couldn't really feel anything, but it was clearly a fever, and a pretty high one at that.
The body is still too fragile.
Helpless, Chu Jiubian could only buy a box of fever-reducing medicine from the mall, and then struggled to sit up.
He rubbed his dry, burning eyes to clear his mind before putting on his boots and slowly walking out into the outer room.
Xiao Xiangzi, who was supposed to be guarding the outer room, was not there; he probably went to relieve himself.
Chu Jiubian took two cold medicine pills with water.
Just as I was about to go back to sleep, the door to the outer room opened.
A cool breeze carrying a drizzle blew in, causing Chu Jiubian's collar to come undone slightly, but the coolness also cleared his mind considerably.
The person outside folded their umbrella, turned around, and was startled when they saw Chu Jiubian: "Young Master!"
"Hmm." Chu Jiubian noticed the other person's damp clothes and said, "Go back and change your clothes to sleep. You don't need to stay here."
Xiao Xiangzi immediately panicked and hurriedly explained, "No, sir, please don't misunderstand."
“Someone from the Hall of Mental Cultivation came and called me. I didn’t go far; I was just outside at the pavilion. I wasn’t slacking off on purpose.”
The young master doesn't have the habit of getting up at night, so Xiao Xiangzi went out for a short while and returned after only saying a few words. Unexpectedly, the young master happened to discover him this time.
Chu Jiubian felt a dull ache in the back of his head, but he was used to hiding it, so apart from a faint blush on his cheeks, he showed no other unusual signs.
“I’m not blaming you,” he said. “It’s just that I really don’t need anyone to wait on me. It’s too much of a hardship for you to take turns keeping watch at night.”
Xiao Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered something and said, "By the way, young master, the Yangxin Hall said that His Majesty has a high fever and the morning court will be canceled tomorrow. The official said you can sleep in a little longer tomorrow."
"Your Majesty has a high fever?" Chu Jiubian frowned.
“Yes, the imperial physician was summoned an hour ago,” Xiao Xiangzi said with some worry. “However, he said that His Majesty is too young and his health is too precious, so many medicines cannot be administered in large doses, which is why His Majesty’s fever has not subsided yet.”
As the male lead, he doesn't need to worry about these minor illnesses and ailments at all.
But the child's soft, chubby face seemed to appear before Chu Jiubian, smiling with a set of white teeth, and obediently calling him "Sir".
"Let's go take a look." Chu Jiubian walked outside.
Xiao Xiangzi hurriedly ran into the inner room to get him an outer robe. When he came out again, he saw that the young master had already left with an umbrella, so he hurriedly chased after him and put the robe on him.
The main hall of Yangxin Hall was filled with the strong aroma of traditional Chinese medicine.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty vomits after taking this medicine; it has no effect at all." The imperial physician was sweating profusely with anxiety. "We still have to force His Majesty to swallow it."
Traditional Chinese medicine tastes bitter, which is really hard for a three-year-old child who has been pampered and spoiled to swallow.
Moreover, the child was suffering from a fever and was feeling unwell. The grievances he had been holding onto for days due to the loss of his mother finally erupted. He hugged Qin Xiao's neck tightly, crying so hard that his voice became hoarse.
The people in the hall had all watched him grow up and knew why he would throw a tantrum and refuse to take his medicine.
He wanted his mother.
Everyone felt terrible. Several palace maids and nannies were secretly wiping away tears, and Hong Fu's eyes also reddened.
Qin Xiao gently patted the child's back, carried him slowly through the hall, and let him cry without comforting him.
On the day the late empress passed away, Baili Hong cried his heart out, and it took Qin Xiao a whole night to comfort him before he stopped.
Since then, the child often wakes up crying at night and looks for his mother, but he has never cried so loudly before, only sobbing intermittently.
Today he was finally able to cry and fuss again.
The child also needed to vent, so Qin Xiao simply held his small body and slowly paced around.
Cry, it will make you feel better.
The rain outside continued incessantly, a fine drizzle.
A commotion arose from the outer hall. Qin Xiao, who was in his bedchamber, looked towards the door. In just a couple of breaths, a figure in plain clothes came into view.
Qin Xiao paused, looking at the newcomer with slight surprise.
Chu Jiubian looked disheveled. His clothes were in disarray, the hem of his clothes and his boots were wet, and even his shoulders and hair were damp.
However, the other person's usually pale cheeks had a rare touch of color, making them look much healthier than usual.
Baili Hong's eyes were swollen from crying, and coupled with fever and some lack of oxygen, he was in a state of instinctive pain.
I just wanted to cry and vent, and I had no idea what was wrong with me.
"Let them go out first." A slightly hoarse male voice rang out. Baili Hong turned his head, choking back tears, and saw that the person who came was Mr.
Yes, it was the Master, and the Master was also a deity; he knew what kind of person the Empress Dowager was.
An inexplicable sense of familiarity made him instinctively want to get closer to the other person. So, under everyone's watchful eyes, the little boy finally let go of the little arm that was tightly holding onto Qin Xiao and instead reached out towards Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian had already walked up to them. When he saw the child's outstretched hand, he was momentarily dazed.
"Sir, hold me." The child's choked voice pulled him back to reality.
Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao, and seeing that the other party did not stop him, he reached out and hugged the child.
Hot, soft, moist, with a child's unique smell.
Chu Jiubian's Adam's apple twitched slightly.
Qin Xiao knew that Chu Jiubian had special "pills", so when he heard him tell others to leave, he did not hesitate and sent everyone out, leaving only the three of them in the room.
On his way here, Chu Jiubian had already bought an electronic thermometer and fever reducers for children from the system store.
"You turn around first," Chu Jiubian said to Qin Xiao.
He could occasionally display some miracles in front of Qin Xiao, but it was better to keep things like electronic thermometers, which were too extravagant, hidden away.
Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, then turned his back.
He gently rubbed the thumb ring on his thumb with his fingertips, when he suddenly heard a very faint "beep" behind him.
Chu Jiubian glanced at the thermometer; it read 38.3 degrees Celsius, not too high, but still too much for a child.
He put the thermometer back into his storage space and glanced down to see the child looking completely stunned.
From the moment he conjured the thermometer out of thin air, Baili Hong forgot to cry, staring blankly at the thing that had appeared out of nowhere with his swollen, red eyes.
The thing gently tapped his forehead and made a "beep" sound.
Then the man conjured that thing up out of thin air again!
Amazing! No wonder he's a divine being!
Baili Hongdu forgot to cry, blinked at Chu Jiubian, and his surprise gradually turned into admiration.
Looking at the child's wet eyes, Chu Jiubian felt his own eyes burning hot, as if they were about to bring tears to his eyes.
"Shh." He gave the child a gentle smile that he himself didn't realize, and his voice was soft and gentle. "This is our secret."
Baili Hong glanced at Qin Xiao's retreating figure: "Isn't Uncle going to say anything either?"
"I won't say," Chu Jiu argued.
Baili Hong hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "I won't say."
Qin Xiao listened to the two people behind him talking openly and honestly, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled down.
"Is it done?" he asked.
Chu Jiubian responded and carried the little emperor to the bedside, placing him on it.
Bai Lihong's undergarments were soaked with sweat. Qin Xiao walked over and sat down by the bed, stripped him clean, and wrapped him up in the blanket, leaving only his round, soft little face exposed.
Chu Jiubian brought over a water cup and saw the child wrapped up like a rice dumpling, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking completely bewildered.
A slight smile unconsciously curved his lips as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his knee accidentally bumping lightly against Qin Xiao's.
Qin Xiao's muscles tensed instantly as he glanced downwards.
Both of them have long legs, and since they were sitting on the edge of the bed and looking sideways at the child between them, it was inevitable that they would touch each other.
Chu Jiubian adjusted his posture again, and his knees were now completely pressed against Qin Xiao's.
Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze, neither speaking nor moving his leg.
Chu Jiubian had already poured the children's fever-reducing medicine into the cup, but fearing that children in ancient times might not have strong enough immunity, he poured in a little less.
Just as he was about to coax the child to drink it, his left wrist, which was holding the cup, was grabbed.
Chu Jiubian was taken aback and turned to look at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao's deep eyes, illuminated by the dim light of the oil lamp, appeared even more unfathomable.
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