Müßige Blumen und Schatten

Kapitel 34

"Jiaoniang, where are you going..."

Xu Shirong turned around and saw him looking at her pitifully. She sighed and said, "You have a high fever. I'll go and get someone to fetch some medicine."

Yang Huan gave an "oh," then released her hand and watched her leave. He glanced at Erbao still peeking in from the doorway and remembered he hadn't silenced him. He gave Erbao a menacing look. The room was dimly lit by only an oil lamp, but his gaze seemed to draw out two eerie lights, gleaming and somewhat frightening. Erbao flinched, shrank back, and dared not say another word, hurriedly following Xu Shirong.

A young servant on night duty was sleeping in the lobby. He was initially annoyed at being woken up in the middle of the night, but upon seeing the woman's elegant clothes and beautiful face, his annoyance subsided somewhat. Seeing her generous spending and kind words, he became even happier. He accepted the reward money and hurriedly took on the task, saying that there was a pharmacy nearby and the innkeeper's doctor was a relative of his. He said he would go and fetch him and told him to wait there.

Xu Shirong thanked him and sent Erbao with her. Sure enough, not long after, footsteps were heard outside, the curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man carrying a medicine box entered; he must be the doctor. He was quickly led to Yang Huan's room.

Yang Huan was getting a little bored while waiting, so he couldn't help but climb down to the door and peek out to see what was going on. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the corridor and knew that they had returned. He quickly went back to bed, lay down, closed his eyes, and didn't move.

Xu Shirong brought the doctor in and saw Yang Huan lying motionless. She thought he had fallen into a coma due to the fever and was a little worried. She went to his side, gently patted his face, and called his name twice before he opened his eyes. He looked sickly and listless, with no trace of his usual energetic self. Xu Shirong felt a pang of sadness and quickly stepped aside, saying to the doctor, "He looks really bad. Please take a look."

The doctor took his pulse and examined his tongue, diagnosing him with nothing more than external cold trapping his yang energy, causing it to stagnate and generate heat. He turned and grabbed some medicine from his medicine box, wrapped several doses, instructed him to take them on time, collected his payment, and left. Xiao Que took the medicine packet and followed the innkeeper to borrow a stove to brew the medicine. While the medicine was brewing, Xu Shirong fed him some water, then took a clean cloth, soaked it in cool water, wrung it out, and placed it on his forehead. She then told him to loosen his outer garment, lie down with his chest and abdomen exposed, and used another cloth dipped in warm water to wipe him and cool him down.

Yang Huan lay sprawled out, watching her busily working nearby, her expression focused. A strange warmth welled up within him, spreading through his entire body, and he blurted out, "I...I lied to you again..."

Xu Shirong glanced at him, said "oh," but didn't stop what she was doing.

As soon as Yang Huan uttered the words, he regretted them terribly, wishing he could bite his tongue off. Seeing that she didn't seem angry, he relaxed. When she moved her hand to his chest, he quickly grabbed it to stop her from moving, then looked into Xu Shirong's eyes and said, "I... I felt a little unwell when I woke up, and all I wanted was for you to be with me. I was afraid you were still angry with me and wouldn't talk to me, so I asked Erbao to knock on your door and said those things on purpose..."

Xu Shirong glanced at him, shook her head, and smiled slightly: "Now, I really can't tell which of your words are true and which are false. When you speak, your expression is always so sincere."

Yang Huan was embarrassed and immediately sat up, saying anxiously, "This time I'm telling the truth. I promise I won't lie to you again. If I ever lie again, may I be struck by lightning!"

After listening to him for a while, Xu Shirong mentioned being struck by lightning twice, saying it very smoothly, and couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, alright. I believe you. There's no such thing as being struck by lightning. If you really want to be struck by lightning, that's a matter of extremely lucky probability."

Although Yang Huan was somewhat confused, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her smile at him again. He suddenly went limp and lay back down, but she held his hand tightly and whispered, "Jiao Niang... I feel so happy when I see you smile at me like this. I don't know why, I just want to see you smile at me. I was wrong last night. I will definitely change from now on and never go to the brothel to make you angry again. If you think I'm wrong, just punish me. Just don't kick me there next time, it really hurts..." As he finished speaking, he glanced at his chest, his face still showing lingering fear.

Xu Shirong's hand was held by him, and she was somewhat touched by his words. Hearing the end of his speech, she couldn't help but laugh, noticing his somewhat comical expression. After laughing, she looked up and saw him staring blankly at her, looking rather dazed. A pang of regret welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but sigh, saying softly, "I went a bit too far last night. Your usual behavior is like that of a child. Even if you've made mistakes in the past, it's probably because you haven't been properly taught. If you truly wish to change in the future, I will be very happy."

Yang Huan was initially pleased to hear her speak so softly, but when he heard her say that she was like a child, his expression changed drastically. He was stunned for a long time before carefully saying, "I... I'm so old. People my age already have children running around. How can you say I'm still a child?"

Xu Shirong chuckled at his ridiculous words and shook her head, saying, "You are an adult, that's true, but the way you did that thing makes you seem like a child."

Yang Huan was shocked and speechless, inwardly groaning. No wonder this beautiful woman's personality had changed so drastically, and she was unwilling to be close to him. So, after all this time, in her eyes, he was getting younger and younger, becoming a child? A surge of anger welled up in his chest, and he suddenly sat up, shouting, "Beautiful woman, you say I'm like a child. Then, in your eyes, what kind of man qualifies?"

Seeing that he was asking seriously and his eyes were fixed on her, Xu Shirong casually smiled and said, "A man should be responsible, steady, and reliable..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yang Huan felt a surge of jealousy and blurted out, "Like that Xu guy?"

Xu Shirong chuckled, rolled her eyes at him, thought for a moment, and then said, "Didn't you become the county magistrate because of a single sentence you uttered in the Jiying Hall? Do you remember those words? If you can truly live up to that, then you are a man worthy of admiration!"

Yang Huan frowned and thought for a moment. Although he had been uneducated in the past, his memory was quite good. He remembered and recited it once, then recalled that she had mentioned that this was Fan Zhongyan, the Prefect of Kaifeng and a scholar-official in the Imperial Academy. He then slammed his hand on the bed and grumbled, "So you've taken a fancy to someone like Prefect Fan. But he's already in his forties or fifties, with a wife and children. You should give up on that idea as soon as possible. My father used to lead troops into battle, and I, Yang Huan, come from a military family. Although I'm just a lowly county magistrate now, just you wait and see. I will definitely not let you look down on me in the future! I will definitely show you what a real man is!"

Seeing his fierce expression, Xu Shirong found it rather endearing and couldn't help but laugh, "Don't just boast and underestimate the position of county magistrate. The closer an official is to the people, the harder it is to be a good one. When you truly succeed as county magistrate, I'll acknowledge you as a man. How about that?"

Yang Huan's arrogance surged, and he raised his head, saying, "What's so difficult about that? Just open your eyes and watch!"

Xu Shiren suppressed his laughter and was about to tell him to lie down when the man grabbed his hand again and said, "Once I've become a good county magistrate, you can't try to get me out of bed again!"

Xu Shirong chuckled and hurriedly tried to get him to lie down, but Yang Huan wouldn't let it go. He grabbed her hand and insisted on getting her to agree, like twisting a piece of chewing gum. Just as they were struggling, there was a knock at the door. It turned out the medicine had been prepared and brought over. Only then did Yang Huan release her hand.

Xu Shirong took the medicine bowl from Xiao Que, blew on it to cool it slightly, and then scooped a spoonful to Yang Huan's lips. However, after just one sip, Yang Huan frowned and cried out that it was bitter. He absolutely refused to drink the second sip. After several attempts to persuade him, seeing that he was shaking his head like a rattle drum, Xu Shirong was both amused and annoyed. She mocked, "Still saying you're not a child. This is one example. Have you ever seen an adult so afraid of taking bitter medicine?"

Yang Huan hadn't drunk the medicine earlier, partly because he genuinely disliked the bitterness, and partly because he secretly rejoiced that his illness had come at the right time. He didn't want to get better; instead, he hoped it would drag on longer so she would be so gentle and coaxing towards him, which was why he'd taken the opportunity to act coquettishly. Now, hearing that even this involved the important question of whether he was a man or not, he immediately snatched the bowl from her hand, brought it to his lips, pinched his nose, and gulped it down in one go. Then, wiping his mouth, he grinned and said, "Now I'm a grown-up, aren't I? What will you reward me with, my wife? Only then will I have the will to straighten out those bad habits one by one, turning them into a true, upright man, so that you'll like me."

Author's Note: I'll be updating earlier today. Thanks to ZHE200811pm for the tip.

Thank you for your support.

Regarding the issue of sex, the author feels that the two haven't progressed to that point yet. The original plan was for things to develop naturally. If you guys really want the beautiful woman to be taken advantage of sooner, you could create some unexpected opportunity—sex first, then developing feelings later...

The author isn't innocent...

Chapter 41

Xu Shirong put down the medicine bowl, pressed him down, covered him with the blanket, and told him to close his eyes and get some sleep to sweat it out. Yang Huan, however, tugged at her sleeve, insisting that she kiss him as a reward. Helpless, Xu Shirong leaned down and lightly kissed his forehead with her lips. Only then did Yang Huan release his grip and close his eyes. The medicine took effect, and he slowly fell asleep.

Xu Shirong sent Xiao Que and Er Bao to sleep, closed the door, and sat by his bedside, watching him and occasionally wiping away the sweat from his body. They tossed and turned until past four in the morning. She touched his forehead; it seemed cooler, and his breathing wasn't as heavy as before. Relieved, she felt sleepy. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the oil lamp on the table had long since burned out, and it was already bright daylight. She didn't know when she had found herself fully clothed, lying on the inside of Yang Huan's bed, sleeping with her head on his arm. Yang Huan was also lying on his side facing her, and the two of them were covered by a blanket, their foreheads almost touching.

Xu Shirong gently shifted the bed and slowly sat up, but this still startled Yang Huan, who immediately opened his eyes. Perhaps due to the fever, his eyes looked deeper and brighter than usual. Upon seeing Xu Shirong sitting beside him, he grinned.

Feeling touched by his words, Xu Shirong smiled slightly before asking, "Are you feeling better?"

Yang Huan sat up abruptly, stretched, and said, "Of course. I'm known for having nine lives. If pharmacies relied on me, they would have closed down long ago. Last night I was just a little upset, which caused a fever. Now that I'm calm, the fever is naturally gone."

Hearing his glib tongue again, Xu Shirong knew it was due to his nature and that he couldn't change it. She pretended not to hear, reached out and touched his forehead, and sure enough, the drool had gone away. Then, as she got off the bed and slipped on her shoes, she turned back and asked, "I remember sitting by your bed last night, how come I woke up on the bed this morning?"

Yang Huan said, "When I woke up, I found you asleep on the edge of the bed, so I picked you up."

Xu Shirong said "Oh" and laughed, "I was supposed to be taking care of you, but in the end you've become the one taking care of me."

Yang Huan scratched his head, unable to think of anything to say for a moment, and just chuckled twice.

Xiao Que brought water for washing, and the two of them washed themselves. Although the inn's rooms were of the highest quality, there wasn't a mirror, and the one she had brought was still in her luggage. Xu Shirong didn't mind, as she was still not very good at styling her hair. She called Xiao Que over to comb her hair, but Yang Huan took the comb first and stood behind her, undoing her slightly disheveled hair. He carefully straightened it, then took the opportunity to tie it up again, smelled the fragrance, and then put down the comb, standing motionless to the side.

Xu Shirong glanced at him and asked in surprise, "That's it?"

Yang Huan touched his brow and laughed, "I can just comb it straight."

Xu Shirong couldn't help but chuckle, glancing at Xiao Que, who was standing to the side with a slightly pouting mouth. It turned out Xiao Que was sulking because her job had been taken away. Seeing that Yang Huan had only combed her hair and was now helpless, she became happy. She had served Jiao Niang for years, only because the maids in the previous courtyard, those with slightly oily hair and pretty faces, were either driven away or sold. Only because she was a little dark and plump, Xu Jiao Niang trusted her. She used to only fear her mistress, but now, seeing him so subservient to Xu Shirong, she cared even less. Giving him a smug look, she then went to style her hair. Just as she was about to pick out a golden lotus hairpin from her dressing box to put on, a hand reached out, snatched it away, and threw it back into the box, clicking its tongue in disdain: "Didn't you see your mistress is wearing a light green dress today? Why not pick a yellowish-green one to wear in her hair? That would look much better!" Who else could it be but Yang Huan?

The little sparrow pouted in anger, but since it was its master, it dared not speak out and could only step aside.

Seeing that these two could even argue over combing her hair, Xu Shirong was both amused and annoyed. She stood up and said, "We're going to be on the road anyway, so it's fine not to wear it."