Chapter 28 Reckless Words
Xia Guang left Fu Heng's study and hurried back to the bedroom to check on Meng Qingci. She found her curled up on her side, her hands pressed against her lower abdomen, fast asleep, her temples already soaked with fine beads of sweat. Xia Guang's heart tightened at the sight. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the sweat, her movements careful not to disturb her sleep.
She carefully drew the curtains, then turned and called people in, signaling them to tidy up the room quietly. All the utensils were quietly replaced with new ones, and she specifically instructed a maid to stand guard in the outer room, fearing that Meng Qingci would be awake and there would be no one to call her.
Xia Guang herself took the prescription from Zhang Hekai and personally prepared the medicine without asking anyone else to do it.
The little girl Mao'er was helping out from the side, occasionally wiping away tears with her sleeve, sobbing intermittently.
Xia Guang glanced at her and asked, "Why are you crying?"
"I was almost dragged onto the deck and flogged. It scared me to death. I really thought I was going to die this time." Mao'er choked up, not daring to directly complain about her master, but still muttered softly, "The young lady is usually so easy to talk to, but she didn't plead with the master at all."
Xia Guang gave her a cold look, put away the fan she was using, extinguished the stove fire, stood up, and poked Mao'er's forehead hard with her index finger, scolding, "You little hussy who can't tell right from wrong, how much yellow urine have you eaten that has turned your brain into mush? Why don't you jump into the sea and wash it off! If the young lady really wanted to plead for you, your body would be cold by now, and you would have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish. I think you're tired of living. If the master hears this, he'll skin you alive."
Mao'er shrank back and immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Xia Guang instructed her to clean up the place, then picked up the medicine bowl and turned to leave. She thought to herself: What kind of person has Mo Song trained? He doesn't understand a single rule.
Xia Guang returned to her bedroom, instructed the maid to stand guard outside, and then quietly entered the inner room. She deftly lifted the curtains on both sides of the bed, leaned down, and softly called out, "Miss, drink your medicine first before you sleep, it will make you feel better at night."
Meng Qingci was a light sleeper to begin with. She woke up groggily and felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen that was worse than before. She frowned and forced herself to turn over.
Seeing that she was weak and her brows were furrowed, Xia Guang quickly helped her sit up slightly and placed a soft pillow behind her before handing her the medicine bowl: "Miss, don't be so hard on your body. Someone as lowly as me, if I get sick, if I get seriously ill, I'm afraid I'll have to be moved outside to 'rest' and whether I live or die depends on God."
Meng Qingci knew that Xia Guang meant well, but Xia Guang didn't know that she was afraid of death and pain. Heaven knows how much courage it took for her to stab herself when she was poisoned by "Inseparable Love".
She silently took the bowl of medicine, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The intense bitterness instantly spread between her lips and teeth, rushing straight to the top of her head, causing tears to well up in her eyes.
Xia Guang took the empty bowl and handed her the honey water she had prepared that morning: "Quickly sweeten your mouth and suppress the bitterness."
Meng Qingci drank it as instructed, the sweetness dispelling the bitterness on her tongue. She caught her breath, looked up at the sunset, and said with the same sincerity as before, "You've worked hard. It's not a good job for me to have you come with me."
Since she began serving Meng Qingci, Xia Guang had always felt that Meng Qingci treated her with indifference and that there was always a distance between them. Now that they had finally regained some of their former closeness, she couldn't help but smile and say, "Following the young lady is better than following the eldest madam. She's muddle-headed, and who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Jinping served the eldest young master wholeheartedly for so many years, and in the end, she was still sent away with just a word."
Meng Qingci leaned against the soft pillows, not responding. She had finally managed to escape from the Marquis's mansion, and she didn't want to mention a single word about the past.
Seeing her weary expression, and her once bright and sparkling eyes now as still as a flickering lamp, Xia Guang gently advised, "Miss, you've always been good at judging situations. You even advised me before, so why are you acting so foolishly now? The Third Master treats you far better than the Eldest Young Master. Everyone can see that clearly. If you had just said a few kind words, why would the Third Master be so angry? Besides, that cinnabar isn't something to be trifled with. Miss, you're of marriageable age. Why not take this opportunity to have a child or two, so you'll have someone to rely on in the future? With the Third Master's feelings for you, he can't be wrong in the future."
Meng Qingci wearily closed her eyes, not bothering to discern whether Xia Guang's words were sincere or if Fu Heng had sent her to act as an intermediary. She simply turned her head, her voice as light as a wisp of smoke: "I understand."
Xia Guang's lips trembled slightly, still thinking of the kindness she had shown in the past. She glanced outside to make sure the door was closed before lowering her voice to say to Meng Qingci, "Just now, Third Master called me over and asked if you already had someone else in your heart. I naturally said no, and Third Master confirmed it several times before letting me out."
Upon hearing this, Meng Qingci frowned. She couldn't remember what she had said while she was unconscious, but she felt that Fu Heng was not only extremely shrewd but also suspicious and cautious, which made her increasingly disgusted and resentful of him.
She sneered, "Even if you tell the truth, he might not believe you. Oh well, let him think what he wants."
Seeing the weariness on her face, Xia Guang said nothing more. She helped her wash and change, gave her a hot water bottle, and helped her to rest. After settling everything in place, she gently closed the curtains and quietly withdrew.
After Fu Heng carried Meng Qingci back to the official ship, chaos erupted on board. Fu Heng was furious, and all the servants and maids on board lived in fear.
By the time Mo Jian had a moment to write it down, Yao Ruhai, the prefect of Zhejiang, had been standing in front of Fu Heng's official boat for more than an hour in the cold wind, yet still dared not leave for even a moment.
Mo Jian stepped off the boat and saw that Yao Ruhai's lips were blue from the cold and his whole body was shivering. He had no choice but to step forward and say, "I'm sorry, Lord Yao. You've been exposed to the cold wind for quite some time. Please bear with me."
"How could I dare? It's all my fault for poor arrangements." Yao Ruhai hurriedly bowed in response, his gaze still occasionally glancing at the official boat. He hesitated and asked, "I wonder if my little master's wife is well?"
Mo Jian sighed and glanced at him: "Fortunately, he is out of danger."
Yao Ruhai felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He put his hands together and said repeatedly, "Amitabha, may Heaven bless my little master's wife. Good people are always protected by Heaven. Heaven has not abandoned me."
Seeing that several beautifully dressed women were following behind him, Mo Jian sighed inwardly that this Lord Yao was too clever for his own good. He simply waved his hand and said, "The master is currently too busy to see you, so you should rest early."
Yao Ruhai looked in the direction Mo Jian indicated and immediately realized he had done something foolish. He repeatedly agreed and thanked him profusely before retreating.
In the stillness of the night, Fu Heng returned to his bedroom after finishing his official duties. He quietly removed his outer robe, lifted the bed curtains, and climbed onto the bed. There he saw Meng Qingci's slender figure curled up inside, lying with her back to him. Her body was frail, and in the dim light of the night, tear stains were still wet on her cheeks. Her sleeping face was fragile and pitiful.
Fu Heng's earlier displeasure vanished instantly at this sight, and his heart softened.
He gently pulled her into his arms from behind, and when he touched her, he felt that her body was icy cold. Remembering that she was suffering from lower abdominal pain, he spread his warm palms and gently covered her with them, transferring his body heat to her little by little.
Seeing her nestled obediently in his arms, clinging to him for warmth, he pondered to himself: He hadn't been honest with her enough, taking advantage of her vulnerability and deceiving her, keeping her confined to his side, yet she didn't cry or make a fuss, and even his act of giving himself to her was easily overlooked.
He was only ruthless to himself; now that she was in this state, he couldn't hit her or scold her.
Fu Heng then thought: Oh well, she's been living with those filthy people in the Marquis's mansion since she was little, what good things could she have learned? It's understandable that she's a bit impetuous in her speech and a bit eccentric in her behavior. I'm much older than her after all, I can guide her carefully and teach her slowly in the future.
Perhaps it was his sigh that startled Meng Qingci, for she slowly woke up and was startled to find herself in Fu Heng's arms.
The two had already completely fallen out, and were just a step away from a physical fight. How could he, in such a fit of rage, still go to her bed as usual?
Recalling the disgusting words Chen had spoken to her in the Zhejiang prefectural government, a surge of anger welled up inside her. She abruptly pushed him away, sat up halfway, gritted her teeth, and said coldly, "So that's why you insisted I disembark today, sir. I'll make it clear today. You don't need to waste your time sending those nobodies to talk about the benefits of being a concubine. I will never be a concubine! If I were willing to be a concubine, I wouldn't be in your nephew's household; I would have been there long ago. Didn't you see that for yourself when you were at the Marquis's residence? If you're after me as a concubine, you might as well give up now. I might as well just die."
Fu Heng wasn't a coward like Fu Hongxuan. Threatening her with a dagger, bluffing, or threatening suicide wouldn't work. She couldn't bear the thought of becoming a concubine for even a moment longer; she'd rather die.
Fu Heng was taken aback by her cold words and angry expression as soon as she woke up. He immediately frowned and denied it, saying, "I never intended to do that."
Meng Qingci scoffed coldly: "What, you dare to do it but not admit it? If you admit it, I'll admire your upright character. If Lord Yao's wife wasn't instructed by someone, how dare she advise me to become her concubine in front of me? Do you dare to say you really didn't know?"
Fu Heng then realized that she had been so angry with Yao Ruhai's wife that she had started menstruating.
Feeling utterly speechless, he sighed helplessly, but still managed to defend himself with the words: "Whether you believe it or not, I truly know nothing of this matter. Rest assured, no one will dare to gossip about me in the future. Besides, if I wanted you to be my concubine, why would I need outsiders to persuade me?"
Meng Qingci had no idea what he really wanted from her. She didn't want to get entangled with Fu Heng and didn't ask about his plans. Seeing that he wasn't embarrassed by being exposed, nor was he angry or ashamed, and instead made a confident promise, she believed him somewhat.
Meng Qingci admired Fu Heng's shamelessness. He had been so angry that he smashed things all over the room, yet now he could hold her in his arms as if nothing had happened.
She was unaware that Fu Heng was indeed furious, almost to the point of losing his reason. But after his anger subsided, he couldn't bear to let her go. Unable to bring himself to be cold to her, he simply abandoned his pride and went back to her room, thinking that he could punish her later when she recovered.
However, Fu Heng thought to himself: Isn't Fu Yan'an the young man she was talking about?
His eyes were as deep as a still pool, and his voice was low and husky, carrying a hint of danger: "Are you regretting it? Regretting not choosing my good nephew back then?"
Meng Qingci didn't expect him to bring this up. Fu Heng knew perfectly well what kind of relationship she had with Fu Yan'an. Then, thinking of his sensitive and suspicious nature, she couldn't help but glance at him lightly, raise the corners of her lips, and smile gently: "So what if you figured it out? I just like younger women."
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Author's note: My biological clock won't be working for a while, so I'll need to update for a bit during this time.
Meng Qingci: I just dislike you.
Fu Heng: You're very good at being stubborn.
I'm promoting my pre-orders!
Locking the Golden Branch (1v2)
Wang Yuanzhen saved Xiao Yan's life, but Xiao Yan repaid kindness with enmity, forcibly seizing his property.
As Xiao Yan lay dying from his severe injuries, he saw a woman, graceful in the light and shadow, wearing a jade lotus headdress with two flowing ribbons, and a Guanyin mole between her brows, like a celestial maiden descended to earth.
He should have repaid the debt of saving his life, but instead he committed despicable acts.
1v2
Mine clearance:
1. Classic melodramatic plot, SC (sexual infidelity), male lead is a stalker, female lead is delicate, size difference, age difference.
2. A fictional, chaotic medley of events, with numerous warlords vying for power.
3. The trope of forcibly taking or seizing property.
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