When the little boy heard Meng Qingluan say that he was dirty, he was embarrassed and blushed as he pulled his sleeve back.
"I...I didn't mean to."
Seeing that the child was shy, Meng Qingluan stopped talking and sat down next to him.
"Are you planning to sit here forever?"
The little boy knelt down, his hands clasped around his knees. "Can't I?"
Meng Qingluan looked up and surveyed the artificial hill. Apart from the light coming in from outside and the overgrown weeds, there was nothing else there.
"There's no food or water here, and it's cold at night. Are you sure?"
The little boy also looked up at her.
"But won't my sister protect me?"
"..."
Meng Qingluan choked, this brat is quite good at grasping the key points.
"Sister, is it okay...?"
The little boy, observing Meng Qingluan's expression, noticed that her face was frozen and her tone became cautious.
“Protecting you is fine with me.” Meng Qingluan turned to look at him, “but you still haven’t told me why you’re hiding from them?”
Meng Qingluan was incredibly curious.
She had been walking with the little boy and observed that the mansion was very luxurious and grand, clearly not belonging to an ordinary family.
Even though the brat is from a wealthy family, why is he hiding from the servants?
The little boy lowered his eyes, buried half his face in his arms, and answered softly.
"I don't want to take medicine."
Meng Qingluan glanced at him and noticed that he did not look well; he was very thin.
"Isn't the purpose of taking medicine to cure illness? You won't need to take medicine anymore once you're cured. If you keep avoiding it, what if you still can't cure the illness and end up taking medicine all the time?"
Meng Qingluan began to educate the unruly child in a serious manner.
"..."
The little boy buried his head even deeper and didn't utter a sound.
Meng Qingluan thought he was afraid of the bitter taste of medicine, so she simply became a free kindergarten teacher.
"If the medicine tastes bitter, just have them buy you some candied fruit. After you eat the candied fruit, the bitterness will be gone..."
“No, the medicine won’t stop.” Meng Qingluan was speaking passionately when the little boy whispered a sentence.
"What?"
His voice was too soft and unclear, so Meng Qing didn't hear what he said and put her ear closer to him.
"I won't stop taking my medicine, and it seems like my illness won't get better," the little boy repeated.
"Why? Is your illness... very serious?" Meng Qingluan asked carefully.
The little boy shook his head.
"I don't know. I've been taking medicine since I can remember. Each dose is different; sometimes it's sweet, and sometimes it's very bitter."
Upon hearing this, Meng Qingluan couldn't help but feel some sympathy.
"My good boy." Meng Qingluan patted the top of his head and said softly, "Then you must cooperate and drink the medicine."
“My health isn’t good either, and I often take medicine. My whole body smells of medicine, so whenever I can’t stand the bitterness of the medicine, I eat a candied fruit. I comfort myself by thinking: I’ll get better after taking the medicine, and one day I won’t have to take it anymore. Thinking like this makes taking the medicine much easier, and I recover faster.”
The little boy looked up, and his previously timid and wandering eyes brightened considerably.
"Really?"
Meng Qingluan nodded emphatically, "Really."
"Does my sister like candied fruit?"
"Hmm... I quite like it," Meng Qingluan replied after thinking for a moment.
"Okay, then I'll go and talk to them and ask them to buy me lots and lots of candied fruit."
"good……"
As soon as Meng Qingluan agreed, everything in front of her became blurry, and she could no longer hear any other sounds.
In her last glance, she saw only the little boy's terrified and reluctant eyes, and he even raised his hand forward, trying to grab her.
Meng Qingluan wanted to respond, but she could no longer utter a sound.
"Luanluan, are you still feeling unwell?"
When Meng Qingluan opened her eyes, she met Shen Yan's bloodshot eyes. His eyes were dark and swollen, and it seemed that the stubble on his lip had grown a lot overnight. Even his voice had become hoarse.
He looked very tired.
Meng Qingluan subconsciously touched her chest; the pain had subsided.
"It doesn't hurt anymore? You didn't sleep all night?"
Seeing that her complexion had regained its rosy hue, Shen Yan relaxed his tense nerves and shook his head.
"She's asleep. I only woke up recently."
Meng Qingluan knew he was lying, so she moved away and lifted half of the blanket.
"You should sleep a little longer, it's still early. I'll wake you up when we're about to leave."
"No need, I'm not sleepy, you should cover yourself up with the blanket."
As soon as Meng Qingluan lifted the quilt, Chen Yan's hand immediately pressed the quilt down.
Meng Qingluan looked out the window; the sky was just beginning to lighten. It was still early; after all, it wasn't dawn yet, and they wouldn't be returning until noon, so they still had time to rest.
"Come on up, or I'll get angry." Meng Qingluan patted the bedding next to her.
Shen Yan knew that she felt sorry for him, and his heart was filled with tenderness.
"I haven't changed my clothes yet, and I'm still chilly from the night before. I'll just stay here and watch you sleep."
"Then take it off. Didn't you say you've developed abs?"
"..."
Shen Yan blushed.
Ignoring his shy demeanor, Meng Qingluan got up and started to unbutton his outer clothes.
Seeing that she really pounced on him, Shen Yan opened his arms and hugged her waist, then pulled her back into the quilt.
He compromised, saying, "I'll sleep, I'll sleep! Stop fussing, my little darling."
"Okay, come on."
Meng Qingluan's face was beaming with smiles.
Why didn't you say so earlier?
Under Meng Qingluan's fierce gaze, Chen Yan raised his hand to undress, stopping when only a white undergarment remained.
Seeing this, Meng Qingluan withdrew her gaze with some disappointment.
Chen Yan lay on his pillow, his nerves tense all night. Now that he relaxed, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
Meng Qingluan raised her hand and idly fiddled with his eyelashes.
He carefully examined his sleeping face and suddenly frowned.
The little boy in my dream wasn't Shen Yan...?
Meng Qingluan felt that the little boy in her dream was somewhat familiar, and the first thing she thought of when she woke up was Shen Yan from her childhood.
However, the two men's facial features were quite different. After careful observation, it became even more certain that the little boy was not Shen Yan.
So who is he?
…
We set off at noon.
Meng Qingluan and Shen Yan came out rather late; most of the concubines, princes, and ministers had already left.
As soon as the two stepped out of the gate of Baoxiang Temple, they saw a beautiful figure standing beside their carriage.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the two of them.
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