Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Medicinal Tea
The rain continued all night long until the early morning, when the chirping of birds could be heard outside the window.
Zhe Rou was not sleeping deeply. She was awakened by the chirping of birds and slowly opened her eyes.
It was still early in the morning, and the curtains around the bed were drawn tightly. Only a thin ray of light came through the gaps, and all I could see was a blur of shadows, nothing was clear.
Perhaps because she was too tired last night, the person next to her was sleeping very soundly. His chin, with a little stubble, was lightly resting against her brow, and his breath was warm and long, brushing against her cheek.
The slightest movement caused her body to feel sore and weak. Zhe Rou recalled the absurd incident last night. Although Lu Chen finally controlled his temper and did not stay inside according to her wishes, she could not be completely relieved after all. She had to take the medicine to be safe.
Zhe Rou touched her flat belly, gently pushed away Lu Chen's arms, sat up from the couch, casually put on a piece of clothing, put on soft shoes, walked to the table by the window, picked up a pen and wrote down a prescription.
It was almost August, the time when summer was ending and autumn was coming. A moist breeze after the rain brought a hint of coolness and came in through the window. Zhe Rou tightened her clothes and went out to call for help with the written prescription.
Nan Heng had gotten up early in the morning. When he heard the noise in the main house, he immediately pushed open the door of the wing room and came out. Seeing Zhe Rou had something to say, he went forward and called out, "Madam."
Zhe Rou smiled at him and handed him the paper in her hand, "Thank you, please get me some medicine according to this prescription."
Nan Heng quickly replied "yes," stepped forward to take it, and then cautiously asked, "Excuse me, my lady, what is this prescription? Are there any taboos when dispensing this medicine?"
"It's just an ordinary contraceptive recipe. You can find it in any pharmacy or clinic. They will know it."
Nan Heng's eyes widened at the thought of those two fateful words. How could he casually agree to such a major undertaking? Yet, he couldn't refuse. Feeling overwhelmed, he could only bite the bullet and say with difficulty, "My lady, this matter, this matter needs to be consulted with my husband..."
Although she had this thought in mind, Zhe Rou still felt a little angry, but then she felt sad.
It was clearly her own body, but now that she was with Lu Chen, she couldn't even decide whether to get pregnant or not, and could only seek his permission.
What is this?
She took a deep breath, her tone becoming somewhat colder. "Go get the medicine first. If Lu Chen doesn't allow it, even if you bring it back, I won't be able to take it. What's there to worry about?"
She was always gentle and cheerful towards others, rarely showing such an expression. Nan Heng was stunned for a moment, then thought about it and realized that this was indeed the truth. He bowed and hurried out of the courtyard with the prescription.
In the bedroom behind him, Lu Chen had not yet gotten up. He heard some noises vaguely and was half awake. He almost instinctively reached out his hand and touched his side.
But he found nothing.
My heart stopped for a moment and I suddenly became conscious.
Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, glancing around randomly, without even having time to look for a robe. He raised his hand and tore open the bed curtain, stepped off the bed with bare feet, and strode out to search.
"Miss? Miss?"
No one answered, and Lu Chen became more and more anxious. He walked quickly to the door and was about to call the guard in when he suddenly saw Zhe Rou leaning against the door frame, staring blankly at the jujube tree outside the house. Her back was thin and frail, and inexplicably showed a sense of desolation.
Lu Chen suddenly stopped.
He stared at the figure in silence for a long while before walking closer and speaking in a hoarse voice, "妱妱."
Zhe Rou turned around.
"What are you doing here? Be careful not to catch a cold." Lu Chen raised his hand and touched her cheek. Sure enough, she was chilled by the morning breeze. He immediately picked her up and carried her sideways, then turned and walked into the house.
"I'll ask Nan Heng to get some contraceptive pills."
Lu Chen's expression instantly turned gloomy and ugly, "Last night I didn't..."
Zhe Rou frowned slightly, her fingertips curled up unconsciously, "I'm worried."
Sensing her vague nervousness, Lu Chen suddenly felt an inexplicable pain in his heart.
Things will turn around if you take it slow. He had lost his mind in the past due to impatience, and she still harbored resentment. If he pushed her too hard, it would only chill her heart. After all, she was by his side, and there was still plenty of time in the future. He should slowly coax her into submission.
But it has been less than three months since her miscarriage, so taking the cold contraceptive medicine will inevitably harm her body.
After a long silence, Lu Chen replied softly, "Just take this dose today. From now on, just like when we were in Taozhou, prepare some pills for men and I will take them."
Zhe Rou pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.
Although Wang Zhonggan had been dealt with, they still had to wait for the Imperial City Bureau to arrive in Huai'an to clean up the mess and wait for an opportunity to turn the blame on Xu Chong. Lu Chen couldn't leave Huai'an and return to Beijing for the time being, so he simply took Zhe Rou for a few days of leisurely strolls, and then took her to the night market to try snacks and watch various performances.
Lu Chen wanted to be kind and coax her, and Zhe Rou didn't want him to notice anything unusual at the critical moment. The two of them stayed together like this, and a few days passed quickly. They had the illusion that they had returned to the past and were still living in love in Taozhou.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to board a boat and head north.
Zhe Rou had just finished packing when Nan Heng hurried in from outside the door and called out to Lu Chen, saying that he had a secret report. "General Wen has an urgent letter. Please be sure to open it yourself."
He was not in the capital at the moment, and all his movements depended on Wen Xu to convey messages to him. This time was no exception. Lu Chen did not think much about it for a moment, and took the bamboo tube and opened it without much concern.
However, what was rolled inside was not the ordinary white paper.
It was a piece of light pink embossed paper.
The moment he saw the letter clearly, Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously turned to look at Zhe Rou.
Zhe Rou naturally saw the pattern of the paper clearly.
The letter from Xu's daughter was sent from thousands of miles away, and it was addressed as "urgent letter, to your personal address".
What is this? Brotherly banter?
Although she had decided to let it go, she still felt sick when she saw his close associates acting so recklessly and unrestrainedly.
Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.
Uncontrollably, she felt a surge of hidden anger in her heart. She didn't want to look at him anymore and turned to leave. Lu Chen sensed something was wrong and grabbed her arm from behind, "Jiao Jiao!"
Zhe Rou frowned impatiently, "What?"
Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled up and down, "Let me explain."
As he spoke, under her gaze, Lu Chen immediately placed the roll of paper on the candlestick and burned it clean.
"It was my fault before, and I'm sorry for making you sad, but this letter has nothing to do with me, and I won't even glance at it."
Lu Chen looked at her closely, measuring her expression, his eyes becoming increasingly deep.
"From now on, I will not have any dealings with other women. One or two years is not enough. We still have three, five, and ten years. They will eventually teach you how sincere I am. Meimei, can you trust me again, please?"
Zhe Rou didn't expect him to say these words.
But everything has changed and it is of no use.
Over the past few days, countless causes and effects have been entangled and intertwined until now. The grudges and estrangement between them are no longer as simple as they were in the past.
Zhe Rou's throat choked slightly, and she lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment. In the end, she didn't want to cause any more trouble, so she nodded gently and said nothing more.
After dinner in the evening, she calculated the time and went into the cabin to boil water.
Seeing that the water on the small red clay stove was boiling, Zhe Rou took some lilies and evenly put them into the cup, poured water over it, and put the bowl on top.
Lu Chen leaned aside, lowered his eyes and watched her fiddling with the bowls, the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up slightly, it seemed that just watching her like this made his mood become extremely good.
Soon, a fragrant mist condensed in the bowl. Zhe Rou took out the dried azalea petals and wisteria seeds from her purse, brewed them with boiling water, and then carefully poured the fragrant mist in the cup into the bowl, boiling out a small cup of flower and herbal water, with a faint fragrance emanating from it.
She took a sip from the small cup, then calmly pushed another small plate in front of Lu Chen, "Would you like to try it?"
Lu Chen was naturally not on guard against her. He casually took the cup and took a sip.
It tasted slightly bitter at first, and then sweet and astringent. It wasn't a good taste, but since she had been busy for a long time, Lu Chen smiled and drank it all out of respect.
Zhe Rou watched him drink the cooked water, then raised her face and smiled at him, "How does it taste?"
The dim candlelight in the cabin was reflected in her eyes, flickering softly like a pool of spring water.
Lu Chen's heart suddenly felt hot, and he couldn't help but reach out and pull her into his arms, lift her chin, and lower his head to kiss her.
As their lips were moving, there was a sudden commotion outside the door, and the sound of dense and chaotic footsteps could be vaguely heard.
Lu Chen's expression suddenly changed, and he called out to Nan Heng, "What happened?"
Nan Heng responded quickly, "My dear, be careful, don't come out. There seems to be an assassin on the boat!"
Hearing this, Zhe Rou's heart suddenly trembled.
If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the reception arranged by Xie Yunzhou.
The timing is perfect, it's the perfect time to escape from the chaos.
Seeing the flashes of swords and sabers outside the cabin, Lu Chen's eyes darkened slightly. Just as he was about to reach out and pull Zhe Rou behind him, he suddenly felt a suffocating pain in his chest.
His vision went dark in an instant, and most of his body became powerless. He instinctively wanted to hold on to something, but accidentally knocked over the teacup, scattering broken porcelain all over the floor.
Zhe Rou stood aside, pursed her lips, and watched his expression quietly.
Their eyes suddenly met.
Lu Chen opened his lips with difficulty, but no sound came out. He could only stare at her blankly, his dark eyes full of disbelief and a hint of hurt.
Zhe Rou pursed her lips and whispered, "Azalea and wisteria seeds are used in the boiled water. Mixing the two has a calming effect on the meridians."
"Don't worry. The dosage I used is very light. It won't harm your life. It will just cause paralysis in your limbs and make you unable to speak. The drug will wear off in half an hour at most."
Lu Chen's lips were pale, and his pair of black eyes stared at her solemnly, full of unspeakable stubbornness and resentment.
Seeing his hurt look, Zhe Rou felt sad. Her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she choked slightly. After a long while, she finally whispered to him, "Don't force your blood and qi, or try to resist it. Even though the dose is light, it is poisonous after all. It is inevitable that you will have symptoms, and it will be troublesome to recover in the future."
The corners of Lu Chen's eyes turned red. He picked up the broken porcelain on the ground in his palm with an expressionless face and clenched it tightly.
Having been with her for many years, he also knew a thing or two about common pharmacology. If he wanted to reduce the effects of the medicine as quickly as possible, he would either take the antidote or bleed her.
The sharp porcelain pieces cut through the palm tissue, leaving several deep and hideous wounds, and warm blood immediately gushed out.
He could no longer feel any pain, as if his soul had been burned dry by the flames and turned into ashes.
Zhe Rou's mind was in a state of confusion, and she didn't pay attention to his palm movements.
"I know you truly love me, but we have different desires... If you insist on being trapped by obsession, it will only torture you and waste your time. It's better to part ways."
A thin mist gradually formed in front of her eyes. Her lips trembled as her delicate fingertips gently stroked his brow. "Lu Bingyan, although I no longer want to be your wife, the love between you and me is extraordinary after all... You forced yourself on me before, it was truly abhorrent and hateful, but now I don't want to care about it anymore... I still hope for your best, hope that you will be safe and live a long life in the future... Lu Bingyan, let us part ways now."
Warm tears dripped onto his brow, as if magma burned through his skin and flesh in an instant, causing him deep pain.
Lu Chen closed his eyes in pain, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
Zhe Rou hardened her heart and didn't want to stay any longer. She gritted her teeth, stood up, and ran towards the low window of the cabin.
The gaze behind her was like a substance, fierce, thick, and extremely oppressive, as if it was going to weave an impenetrable spider web and tightly envelope her. She just wanted to escape, and escape quickly.
He was about to remove the window bolt and climb onto the windowsill when he suddenly heard movement behind him.
Zhe Rou was startled and had no time to look back. She held on to the window frame with one hand and climbed up with all her strength.
However, the next moment, Lu Chen had staggered over to catch up, grabbed her thin arm, dragged her back, and pinned her against the cabin wall.
Zhe Rou was horrified and struggled desperately, "Let me go, let me go!"
Although the effects of the drug had been largely dissipated, it was still difficult for him to speak. Lu Chen's teeth chattered, his eyes bloodshot, and he growled word by word: "You are not allowed to leave... I won't let you!"
He was filled with extreme hatred and anger, and lost control of the strength in his hands. Zhe Rou's wrist bones ached from his grip, and his vision went dark. He instinctively reached out and groped around. In his panic, he didn't know what he found, but he picked it up and smashed it on his head.
Lu Chen groaned, his body swayed slightly, and his head tilted to the side.
Seeing a gash appear on his forehead in an instant, with a stream of blood flowing down, Zhe Rou loosened her hand in panic, her fingertips trembling violently, and her chest heaving violently.
His vision blurred by blood, Lu Chen raised his hand to wipe the wound on his head. He froze for a moment, then slowly shifted his gaze to her face, his eyes filled with disbelief and pain, "...妱妱?"
Zhe Rou suddenly felt heartbroken, and before she knew it, she was in tears and trembling all over.
Although Lu Chen had bled out some of the medicine's effects earlier, it still couldn't completely relieve the pain. He gasped for air and held on for a moment, his strength in his hands gradually loosening.
Zhe Rou noticed his abnormality and used all her strength to struggle to break free from the shackles.
Lu Chen was almost unable to hold on. He held onto the cabin wall with one hand and managed to steady himself. The corners of his thin eyes were wet and red, and it was hard to tell whether it was anger or pain, or perhaps it was soaked in blood.
He murmured softly, as if choking with sobs: "Miss, don't go..."
Zhe Rou's heart suddenly twisted with pain, and she dared not look at him again. She immediately gritted her teeth, staggered and turned to run to the low window, climbed onto the windowsill, and stumbled out.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind him, and the cabin door was broken open from the outside. Nan Heng rushed in, and the moment he saw the situation inside the cabin, his expression suddenly changed.
"My dear!"
Lu Chen pushed away his hand that came to support him, his face was pale and ferocious, the veins on his neck were bulging, and he squeezed out a broken word from between his teeth with difficulty.
"Chase!"
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