Before long, a mixture of wine and medicine wafted over.
Yan Shu sat down by the bedside, his gaze open and honest, his words calm: "I apologize for the offense." As he spoke, he lifted one side of the quilt and pulled out Nie Qingyue's arm, rolling up the wide sleeve to reveal her fair and delicate wrist and half of her jade-like arm. With nimble and skillful movements, he took out a silver needle and deftly inserted it.
Like a mosquito bite, Nie Qingyue thought to herself. She quietly opened her eyes, and from this angle, she could see Yan Shu's long eyelashes, which were of just the right density, trembling slightly with each blink. His expression as he lowered his eyes to administer acupuncture was quiet and focused.
“I will fulfill my responsibilities as a doctor and my duties as a husband,” he paused, his voice calm and gentle but his expression firm. “If you wish to return to your former life of wealth and luxury, I can provide it. You may even leave if you meet someone you love in the future. I will do my best to meet your needs, except for matters of the heart.”
Nie Qingyue stared blankly into his deep, unfathomable eyes for a long while before she understood the meaning behind his words. Without agreeing or refusing, Nie Qingyue quietly looked at him for a long time before slowly closing her eyes and turning away to sleep.
Yan Shu pulled out the needle, covered her with the blanket, and then turned to leave. He walked out of the inner room and sat directly on the bench with his eyes closed.
The next day, as soon as Yan Shu opened his eyes, he saw Nie Qingyue standing in front of him. She was dressed in a simple and neat cloth dress, and her bright eyes were smiling. She handed him a set of clothes and said with a smile, "Change quickly, Father is waiting for us in the inner hall to pay our respects and say goodbye." Her expression was so gentle that she seemed to really be his wife.
Yan Shu was slightly taken aback, but didn't try to hide it. He simply walked a few steps away and changed the clothes right in front of her. Nie Qingyue naturally turned her back to him, not wanting to look at him.
“I don’t want the life of luxury and wealth I used to live,” she said in a clear voice, her voice hesitant and shy, but she quickly suppressed it and turned into a firm and frank one: “You can continue to seek pleasure and meet with your former confidantes, or you can continue to live a carefree and unrestrained life. I only have one request.”
Yan Shu, already changed, walked up to her and looked down at her: "What?"
Nie Qingyue looked up and met his probing gaze, answering each word clearly: "I only want you to love me." Seeing his furrowed brows, she suddenly smiled brightly, as if she had pulled off a prank, with a confident and astute air: "Until I step out of the Nie mansion."
A glint of light seemed to flash in Yan Shumo's dark, lustrous eyes, then vanished just as quickly. He relaxed his brows and slowly smiled, a smile as bright and clear as the sun. Nie Qingyue clearly saw that this smile reached right to his eyes.
He took a small porcelain bottle out of his sleeve and handed it to her: "Pour it on the sheets."
Nie Qingyue was puzzled, but after doing so, she saw the clear, colorless medicine seep onto the brocade quilt and turn into a bright red, like blood. Two blushes immediately spread across Nie Qingyue's cheeks.
Had this man planned this all along? She hadn't even considered this possibility. Suddenly, Yan Shu gently turned her shoulder, his rough, warm fingertips lightly pressing against Nie Qingyue's delicate neck and collarbone. A cool, slippery sensation spread—it was ointment. Instantly, Nie Qingyue saw those suspicious marks in the bronze mirror.
“Your father is a cunning old fox. If you want him to feel at ease when he comes to your house, you can’t just put on a show.” Yan Shu gently took her soft, boneless hand and pulled the slightly dazed Nie Qingyue towards the outside.
When Nie Anru saw his daughter dressed in simple clothes and plain clothes early in the morning, he felt heartbroken and dissatisfied. However, when he saw the two of them holding hands, Nie Qingyue's face full of shyness, and Yan Shu's "decoration", most of his worries were relieved.
Parting is always bittersweet. The adoptive mother's eyes reddened as she murmured, and Nie Anru sighed repeatedly, offering words of advice along the way. No matter how high one's position, how great one's status, or how luxurious one's life, one is ultimately still a parent's heart, just like everyone else's.
Nie Qingyue recalled the occasional tenderness shown by her stern and unsmiling parents from her past life, and was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Yan Shu assumed she was simply saddened by leaving home for the first time, and gently wiped away the faint tears from the corners of her eyes, his face filled with deep pity and love. The Nie family elders were gratified by this sight, and Nie Qingyue almost lost herself in admiration, secretly marveling at the extraordinary talent.
The little play came to a perfect end. Nie Qingyue took one last look at the familiar yet unfamiliar Nie Mansion and Nie family members before turning around and getting into the carriage.
Once outside the city, there was a vast, open countryside. Lifting the curtain, Nie Qingyue looked out at the green fields and hills stretching for dozens of miles. With the sky high and the land wide, Nie Qingyue's mood immediately improved.
"Why not just throw me away and continue living your own life? You've already acted in the play, but you still have to take care of me; it's a huge loss." She turned to look at Yan Shu, smiling contentedly. Yan Shu turned his gaze from the medical book to look at her, his tone light: "That was my agreement with you, and this is my agreement with my master."
"Does that mean I still have to call Young Master Yan my husband?" Nie Qingyue's words were ambiguous. Tsk, following the wrong master was a huge loss; he had even ruined his life's most important matter.
Yan Shu smiled nonchalantly and said indifferently, "If Madam is worried that this might hinder a future marriage, she can simply call me by my name..."
"Husband," Nie Qingyue began naturally before she could finish speaking, her tone intimate and her expression cheerful as she looked out the window, "the man who is to be my destined husband must not care about these titles and honors."
Although she was leaning lazily against the window, Yan Shu felt for a moment that the woman's gaze was clear and far-reaching, as if she was looking at more than just the mountains and rivers in that area.
...I don't know why I just can't see it = =
So if any of you gentlemen find this out, and don't mind typing a few words, please point it out. Thank you so much!
Chapter 4
Welcome to Wuhuang, the second most prosperous city in the Kingdom of Yingmo.
"Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Agreement signed by: Nie Qingyue and Yan Shu." Yan Shu held the thin piece of paper and pondered it for a long time.
With the strong comprehension skills honed from years of practicing medicine and dealing with countless strange patients and their expressions, Yan Shu roughly understood what Nie Qingyue meant.
However, setting aside the obscure words for now, and the fact that the meaning seems more applicable to the peace talks between the two countries, his newlywed wife is a renowned woman of exceptional talent, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. This cursive script is truly... On the surface, it can be described as unrestrained and bold; on a deeper level, it is a divine and bizarre painting that is astonishing and unconventional.
The one who wrote the bold and unrestrained cursive script was currently lying comfortably on the second floor of the inn, his eyes half-closed, not wanting to move a single finger.
Looking down from the carved wooden railing on the second floor, the street was bustling with people, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and haggling filling the air. The vibrant noise of the marketplace seemed to soften into a gentle background, lulling Nie Qingyue into a drowsy state. With the lingering heat of late autumn gone, the bright but not intense sunlight shone lazily on her, making it the perfect weather for an autumn nap.
"The rented room is number four. Madam, please go and rest if you are tired." Yan Shu put away the contract and slowly drank his tea.
"Hmm." Nie Qingyue responded vaguely, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she pushed open the door to the private room and walked out.
Just then, a middle-aged woman came downstairs with a child. Nie Qingyue silently recited the room number in her mind and tried to walk as close to the right as possible to make room, when suddenly she felt someone bump into her waist. Nie Qingyue looked down and saw the eight or nine-year-old child, who seemed to have caught her in a panic as she was about to fall down the stairs.
"You brat, walk properly!" the woman beside her scolded in a low voice, then pulled the girl closer to her. The child didn't say anything, her bright black eyes fixed intently on Nie Qingyue, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"It's alright." Nie Qingyue waved her hand, waiting for the child to speak, but the woman grabbed the child's hand and hurriedly dragged her downstairs. Nie Qingyue was a little puzzled, but also too sleepy to resist, so she went upstairs in a few steps and fell asleep immediately.
A good night's sleep, without dreams.
When Nie Qingyue woke up, it was already getting dark. There were far fewer diners on the first floor than during the day, mostly hotel guests who had stayed overnight. Nie Qingyue walked downstairs feeling refreshed and immediately spotted Yan Shuqing's elegant and refined figure among the dozen or so tables.
The clear soup and side dishes were already laid out on the table, still steaming, as if they had timed it perfectly to coincide with the moment she woke up.
Nie Qingyue sat down and started eating without thinking. The food was light but not bland, and it suited her taste perfectly.
"Madam has been resting at the inn all afternoon?" Yan Shu asked in confusion, glancing at her and suddenly leaning closer.
"Huh? Hmm!" Nie Qingyue almost choked on her mouthful of soup, nodding as she mumbled a few monosyllables. After finally swallowing, her bright eyes scanned the surroundings: "Husband, have you seen the mother and daughter who live on the same floor as us?"
Yan Shu stepped back and slowly took a sip of tea: "No. But when I came in just now, the shopkeeper seemed to be complaining that a mother and daughter had moved out before paying their rent and stole the place."
"I see."
"Did you encounter any strange people?"
He nodded as he drank his soup, then shook his head a moment later.
"I'll go to the desolate mountains west of the city to find some herbs later. Madam, please rest well at the inn."
He continued to shake his head.
"Does Madam wish to come along?"
He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and nodded.
"...The shopkeeper said that mountain is haunted, aren't you afraid?"
"…… = ="
Half an hour later.
As darkness fell, the barren mountains became brighter.
Nie Qingyue felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the faint, eerie blue light emanating from the mountainside; even fireflies didn't glow like that. Yan Shu, seemingly unfazed, walked directly towards the things that resembled will-o'-the-wisps.
"Huh, it's...it's grass." Nie Qingyue looked at the slender green plant in Yan Shu's hand under the yellow light of the paper lamp. The sword-shaped tip was still faintly glowing with starlight. No wonder he came to pick herbs at dusk.
"Hmm," Yan Shu put the collected herbs into a cloth bag and placed the bag and lantern in Nie Qingyue's hands. "There is also a different colored herb that mostly grows on the edge of cliffs. Wait for me under the tree. I'll be back soon."
Just as he was about to walk away, Nie Qingyue grabbed his sleeve tightly.
"Are you scared?" he asked, looking down. The warm light reflected a soft glow in his eyes, making them appear gentle and warm like jade.
Nie Qingyue knew that going with him would be unsafe and would only cause more trouble. Yan Shu also seemed to be going up the mountain in the dark to gather herbs before, so she could only whisper a word of advice: "Be careful."
Yan Shu paused slightly, then nodded, sprinkled some insect and snake repellent powder around her, and walked away. Before leaving, he patted her shoulder reassuringly: "I'll be back soon."
Nie Qingyue watched his figure gradually disappear into the night, holding a lantern and standing there for a long time. It wasn't that she was a timid girl; in her past life, she wouldn't even lift an eyelid at cockroaches and spiders. It was just that being alone in this desolate wilderness with its flickering green light made her feel a little uneasy.
If she wasn't hallucinating, she thought she had heard a faint rustling sound in the grass for the second time. Nie Qingyue held the lantern a little further away and looked over, a chill running down her spine.
Insects and snakes were one thing, but what stood in the grass was vaguely a human figure. A half-grown, dark shadow, seeing the light, stumbled and staggered towards her. Nie Qingyue didn't move, her expression unchanged, her whole body feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, her limbs icy cold. The "person" ran silently towards her, grabbing her waist and refusing to let go.
The exclamation that was about to escape his lips was almost swallowed back down.
There was warmth in her; the one holding her was indeed a living child, the little girl who had almost bumped into her at the inn at noon. But what was with all this grass clippings and grime covering her head and body?
The little girl's bright black eyes were filled with fear and anxiety. Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't make a sound. She grabbed Nie Qingyue's hand and tried to run down the mountain.
Is she mute? No, she doesn't seem so. "Lost?" Nie Qingyue pulled her to a stop; she couldn't just leave Yan Shu behind. "Where's your mother?" Just as she finished speaking, she saw the woman carrying a lamp running anxiously towards her: "You little rascal, I've been looking for you everywhere!" She then tried to pull the girl over.
The little girl still clung tightly to Nie Qingyue's skirt, shaking her head desperately, large tears welling up in her eyes. Nie Qingyue frowned as she looked at her and put her arm around her: "How could you let a child run all over the mountains at night?"
The woman reached out and touched the girl's cheek as she explained, "Please don't laugh at me, young lady. This afternoon she misbehaved and I gave her a beating. I might have hit her a little too hard, because she got scared and ran up the mountain on her own." Her expression was one of both heartache and regret.
Seeing her like this, Nie Qingyue didn't know what to say and let go. The woman quickly pulled the girl over. The little girl's hands were tightly gripping Nie Qingyue's clothes, and her knuckles turned white. In the end, she couldn't overcome the strength of an adult. After a few struggles, she was pulled back by the woman. She kept looking back at Nie Qingyue with tears in her eyes.
Nie Qingyue watched the yellow lamp gradually recede into the distance, then looked in the direction Yan Shu had left but there was no movement. Resigned, she sighed, blew out the lamp in her hand, put it back, and quietly followed.
She wasn't exactly a kind-hearted person. When she heard they'd checked out in the afternoon, she felt a pang of guilt, but having missed the opportunity, she didn't dwell on it. Now that she'd encountered it again, it wasn't a matter of choice. It had nothing to do with kindness or justice; it was simply about her own peace of mind. She was selfish, wanting to live a life of comfort, peace of mind, and an upright, fearless existence.
If she was too sleepy at noon to notice that she had deliberately positioned herself some distance from the girl by the stairs, and that the girl grabbed her instead of her more trusted and closer mother when she was about to fall, then she should be more lucid now. No matter how scared a little girl is, she wouldn't run off to the haunted mountains west of the city alone. Besides, the child's expression was abnormal; how could a mute person have that urgent and desperate look, repeatedly failing to communicate?
Maintaining a safe distance, the darkness of the night provided Nie Qingyue with excellent cover. The woman's occasional curses drifted from a distance, "You brat, this time I'll teach you a lesson!"
As Nie Qingyue ventured deeper into the dense forest on the mountainside, her confidence waned.
At the edge of the woods stood an abandoned thatched hut, still glowing with a dim, sickly yellow light. The woman pushed the little girl inside, cautiously glancing around before closing the door. A moment later, a burly man emerged from the hut, carrying a knife and standing guard at the door.
Nie Qingyue crouched in the bushes beside the house, enduring the mosquitoes for a long time while repeatedly looking back the way she came, but it still didn't work. She tiptoed to her feet, wondering if she could go around to the back of the house from the side, when she accidentally stepped on a dry branch. The crisp "thud" was still quite noticeable in the quiet mountain forest.
The burly man shouted in a rough voice, "Who?!" as he strode towards Nie Qingyue. Nie Qingyue put away her expression of regret, which made her want to hang herself. She quickly messed up her hair and clothes, took a deep breath, and ran towards the burly man, shouting as she ran, "Help! Help! There's a ghost!" Her voice was so shrill and terrified that it seemed to echo for three days.
Before the burly man could react, she grabbed him by the collar as if it were a lifeline, shaking him from fingertips to toes, and pulling him stumble backward as if something was chasing them.
Hearing the noise, the woman came out of the house to investigate. When Nie Qingyue saw her, she was so excited that she dropped the big man and rushed over, hugging the woman and saying intermittently, "Auntie, save me! There's a ghost!" Her face was covered in tears and she was in a panic.
When the woman saw Nie Qingyue's appearance, she was first puzzled but then understood. She immediately put on a reassuring smile and patted her back: "Don't be afraid, young lady. Come, come, come inside and we'll talk."
Nie Qingyue nodded blankly, then clung to the woman's sleeve and followed her into the house.
The simple, unassuming room was laid out before her, with no partition between the bed and the table. Nie Qingyue still looked around with suspicion and uncertainty, as if afraid something might suddenly appear. "Have a cup of tea to calm your nerves," the woman said with a smile, handing her a cup of tea.
"I can't find it." Nie Qingyue sighed inwardly, closed her eyes, and drank most of the tea. The icy liquid tasted sweet and rough, burning her tongue and throat. The woman smiled and stared at Nie Qingyue's furrowed brows, then slumped onto the table, her head resting on her arm.
The burly man outside came in to check on the situation: "Thirteenth Sister, how is it?"
"Drag her into the cellar. This girl probably ran into Lao Wu on her way down the mountain. Let's take her to the city and sell her too." The voice was cold, as if discussing goods.
"Thirteen Sister suggested that Fifth Brother dress up as a ghost at night to spread rumors and scare away some bystanders. Now it seems like there's been an unexpected bonus." The big man muttered to himself, then picked up Nie Qingyue, walked to the bedside, and lifted the bed board. Underneath the bed board was a deep and wide hole.
The burly man tied Nie Qingyue's hands, grabbed her wrists by the knots, and lowered her into the hole. When he estimated she was almost at the bottom, he let go and slammed the bed board shut again.
If the burly man had been more observant and lifted the bed board, he would have discovered that the woman, who had just become dizzy and obedient, was now lying on the stone slab covered with sparse straw, grimacing and spitting out a mouthful of tea onto the floor.
If the burly man had better hearing, he might have heard the woman muttering to herself as she wiped her mouth on her clothes: "= = This is incredibly technical, even worse than hot cocoa mixed with chili sauce."