Chapter 14. He Fell Ill
After returning, Bai Li Chuan’s head felt somewhat dizzy. He went to bed without having dinner.
The next day when he woke up, his condition still hadn’t improved, so he asked his attendant to bring breakfast to his room to avoid spreading the illness.
After Bai Li Chuan missed several breakfasts in a row, Xin Jiao Zhou asked his personal attendant Hua Huan: “Has your master been very busy lately?”
Hua Huan was clever and guessed she was asking about why his master hadn’t been coming for meals recently: “The master has been feeling unwell lately and doesn’t want to go out, fearing he might spread the illness to the lady. So he asked this servant to bring all meals to his chambers.”
Xin Jiao Zhou frowned: “Do you know what illness your master has?”
“In response to the lady, it’s a cold with fever.”
A cold? Did he catch it when we went to the countryside yesterday?
It was the third month of late spring, such cold weather, and it even rained. She didn’t mind the cold, but had neglected his feelings, causing a perfectly healthy person to fall ill.
“Has he taken any medicine?”
“Not yet. The master kept refusing to see a doctor. This morning he suddenly developed a fever. This servant just got permission and was about to go out to call for a doctor.”
Hearing this, Xin Jiao Zhou frowned deeply: “Mm, go quickly.”
“Yes.”
Hua Huan withdrew.
Back in her room, Xin Jiao Zhou closed the door. A short dagger inlaid with rubies appeared from her sleeve.
She unsheathed the dagger, revealing the blade hidden within. The entire body shimmered, with complex and mysterious patterns cast upon it. The blade was bright as snow, gleaming with a dangerous cold light.
Xin Jiao Zhou took out a small porcelain bottle and placed it on the table.
With a flash of cold light, a stream of crimson heat flowed along the patterns on the blade all the way to the tip, pouring like water into the bottle.
As the blood-red liquid passed through the patterns on the blade, the patterns seemed to come alive, undulating with the flow, flashing with a dark red glow.
After filling about half the bottle, Xin Jiao Zhou capped it and placed the medicine bottle in an exquisite and beautiful wooden box.
— Most men probably like pretty things, right?
— I wonder if this box is pretty enough, if he’ll like it.
At this moment, the short dagger looked somewhat different from before. The blade was emanating a dark red light, eerily beautiful, as if one look could suck in a person’s soul and devour their vitality completely.
Xin Jiao Zhou sheathed the dagger and, carrying the wooden box, came to the master’s chambers.
She stood outside the door, her left hand holding the wooden box behind her back, and knocked on the door with her right hand.
The person inside called out: “Come in.”
Given permission, Xin Jiao Zhou pushed open the door. A whiff of medicinal fragrance rushed at her face, instantly overwhelming her senses with bitterness.
She walked a few steps closer, finally stopping in front of the screen.
A screen separated the two of them. The silhouette of the person behind the screen was indistinct, but she could clearly see he was reclining on the bed.
It was because she didn’t take good care of him that he fell ill.
Xin Jiao Zhou brought out the wooden box from behind her: “This is a wonderful medicine secretly made by my sect’s doctor, capable of curing hundreds of ailments. Before drinking your medicine, first drip one drop of this into it, then drink. You’ll recover in a few days. Once your body has recovered, the remainder can be made into pills to strengthen your body.”
After saying this, she walked to the wooden table at the side, put down the box and prepared to leave.
Bai Li Chuan had been silent all this time, but seeing her intention now, he spoke up in a reproachful tone: “The lady’s apology really lacks sincerity. You’ve barely arrived, dropped off a bottle of medicine, and now want to leave?”
“This husband has been feeling unwell for quite some time.”
Xin Jiao Zhou withdrew her hand and turned towards the screen.
She looked up in the direction of the bed: “Then shall I keep you company and chat for a while?” She adjusted her robes and sat down on the round stool by the table.
“Alright.” The person on the bed chuckled softly, in a good mood.
“Then let’s talk about how many lovers the lady has had.”
Xin Jiao Zhou: “?”
Although she didn’t know why they suddenly started discussing this topic, she was here to apologize after all. Since she had agreed to keep him company and chat to relieve his boredom, she’d talk about whatever he wanted to talk about.
“I have never had a lover before,” Xin Jiao Zhou answered seriously.
The person behind the screen laughed in disbelief, asking her: “Is the lady not joking?”
“No.”
“Not even casual affairs?”
“No.”
The person behind the screen chuckled quietly: “Very good.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Bai Li Chuan covered his mouth and coughed lightly, explaining: “I haven’t either. I’ve never had a mistress, nor any casual affairs.”
“?” Xin Jiao Zhou wondered why he was telling her these things.
After saying this, Bai Li Chuan looked towards the screen: “The fortune teller said my future wife-master would be the same as me.”
Xin Jiao Zhou thought seriously for a moment, then replied: “She will be.”
Bai Li Chuan frowned and bit his lip. Blockhead!
He asked again: “What kind of man does the lady like?”
Xin Jiao Zhou thought seriously for a while, then sighed softly: “I don’t know.”
The person on the bed covered his mouth and laughed: “Could it be that the lady likes celestial immortals, and no earthly man can catch her eye?”
The shadow in front of the screen shook its head seriously: “I don’t know.”
The person behind the screen changed position, resting comfortably on his arm: “Has the lady ever liked a man before?”
“Never.”
“How about now?”
Xin Jiao Zhou fell silent. She didn’t know how to answer.
If a quickened heartbeat meant liking someone, then she did; if surging blood meant liking someone, then she did. That person was right in front of her.
Seeing Xin Jiao Zhou not answering, Bai Li Chuan’s heart suddenly tightened, feeling suffocated.
Bai Li Chuan forcefully suppressed the unease and vexation in his heart.
Although his throat now felt like it was blocked by a stone, painfully stuffed, he still wanted to hear her admit it herself: “The lady doesn’t speak, is it because there’s already a man the lady cares about now?”
The person opposite was silent for a moment: “Perhaps.”
Bai Li Chuan’s face instantly darkened, his hands clenching the blanket tightly.
He tried to keep his voice calm, not letting the person in front of the screen hear anything amiss: “Who is it?” As soon as he gets out of here, he’ll have Mu He investigate who she’s been in contact with. Even if there is someone, they’ll make sure there isn’t anymore.
He only heard her casually brush him off: “An insignificant person, Young Master Bai need not concern yourself.”
The person on the bed fell silent.
Xin Jiao Zhou didn’t hear any more questions. After waiting a while and still not hearing any movement, she sensed something was wrong.
“Young Master Bai?”
“Young Master Bai, are you asleep?”
“Young Master Bai?”
“Pavilion Master Bai?”
Even if he had fallen asleep, he should have been woken up by the calls and responded by now.
Xin Jiao Zhou felt inexplicably worried.
She quickly stepped around the screen to the bedside.
The person on the bed was wearing white undergarments, lying quietly as if asleep. Not even a corner of the blanket was covering him. The bedding was turned back from the inside out, draped over the edge of the bed.
He was already ill, yet still so fond of the cool air. With a constitution that catches cold from just a bit of wind, how could he sleep without covering himself?
Xin Jiao Zhou reached out to grab the corner of the blanket that should have been tucked inside the bed, intending to cover the person on the bed properly.
Just as the blanket was halfway over him, a pair of arms swooped in, encircling her waist and sliding up her back.
Xin Jiao Zhou’s head was forcefully pulled down. A warmth pressed against her lips, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
All she could hear was someone’s excited heartbeat, though she didn’t know whose.
At the critical moment, reason returned. Xin Jiao Zhou quickly pulled away.
The person on the bed looked a bit dazed.
The beauty’s eyes were wet and sparkling, not yet recovered from the sudden flutter of the heart just now. His light pink lips had turned a watery red.
“Pavilion Master Bai, it’s getting late. You should rest early.” After saying this, she strode away quickly.
It took Bai Li Chuan a moment to react, and by the time he did, she was already gone.
He hurled the soft pillow forcefully in the direction she had left.
“Damn it!”
The red clouds that had just faded from the face of the person on the bed rose up again.
The pillow hit the door with a soft thud, not making a sound.
