Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 4

As evening approached, Fengyin noticed that Xiao Zijin was acting strangely.

Her face was dark red, and she was breathing rapidly; she had a fever.

Fengyin anxiously drifted around the house, but couldn't come up with a solution for a long time.

When evening came, the maid who brought the meal noticed that no one had touched the food, so she went to the bedside to take a look. Only then did she realize that something was wrong with the person inside the bed, and she hurriedly ran out.

Kazekane thought to himself: This is a lifesaver.

After a long while, the maid pulled the old woman who had served Zi Jin along with her.

"Is she really sick?" The old woman glanced at Zi Jin on the bed, but showed no sign of nervousness.

The maid said anxiously, "Aunt Rong, should we inform the general and ask him to send a doctor?"

"How should we inform the General and his wife that they are attending the imperial banquet together?"

"Let's get a doctor right away!"

"It's getting late. Where can we find a doctor? If the general, his wife, or the young ladies are sick, just summon the imperial physician."

"Then what should we do?"

"Let's report back when the general returns."

"What if..."

"Let's go! Don't worry about it! Even if something happens, I don't think the general will pursue it." After saying that, the old woman pulled the maid out without giving her another glance.

Kazane was so angry she could only glare at them: Who are these people?!

They had just left when Zi Jin suddenly opened her eyes and stared blankly at the top of the bed curtains, her expressionless face so empty it was frightening.

Feng Yin sat down next to Zi Jin and said, "Don't do anything rash."

Feng Yin wanted to comfort Zi Jin, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't come up with anything convincing. She also realized that Zi Jin wouldn't hear her anyway, so she could only sit quietly beside Zi Jin, hoping the general and his wife would return from the banquet soon. Then they could find a doctor.

The whole night passed and no one came back.

Zi Jin's condition worsened; her eyes were tightly closed, her breathing became rapid, and her face became even more flushed.

Fengyin frantically floated around Zijin's bedside, cursing as she went. She cursed heaven and earth, the maids, the old woman, the general, and the lady, and later she even cursed the twins.

The next morning, when the maid came to deliver the meal, she walked to the bedside and was so frightened by the person on the bed that she immediately ran away.

This time, Kazane was more careful and followed them.

"Aunt Rong, look, the young master's condition is getting worse. What did the general say yesterday?"

"The general and his wife returned late yesterday and went straight to bed, so I didn't dare to go and disturb them."

"What should we do then? What if the general asks..."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's been so many years since the general last visited Xiyin Pavilion."

The maidservant, still shaken, said, "That's good, that's good."

"I will inform the general. If he asks, just say that we discovered the young master caught a cold this morning; he was perfectly fine yesterday."

"But what if the general asks about the young master himself?"

“Young master, you were just about to ask, have you ever seen the young master speak in the three years you’ve been here? I’ve been serving her here since she was five years old, and I’ve never seen her utter a word.”

"Yes, I understand." The maid nodded vigorously.

If Kazane had a physical form, she would have strangled those two servants countless times.

Fengyin followed closely behind Aunt Rong, wanting to see the general and his wife's reaction.

Before even entering the front courtyard, one could see Zi Yingfeng and his family of four eating together, a picture of harmonious joy, with a virtuous wife and filial children.

Kazane cursed loudly, but unfortunately, no one could hear her.

"What urgent matter is there so early in the morning? Didn't you see the General and his wife having their meal?" Aunt Rong was stopped by the steward before she even entered the front courtyard.

"The master of Xiyin Pavilion is ill, and I have come specifically to inform the general."

"Let's talk about it after the general finishes his meal."

Fengyin anxiously drifted between the front courtyard and the West Hidden Pavilion. Seeing Ziyin Feng's leisurely eating manner, she thought to herself: How come you don't choke to death?

About half an hour later, Zi Yingfeng finally finished his breakfast.

The steward lowered his eyes and walked in: "Reporting to the general, someone from the Western Hidden Pavilion said that their master is ill."

"Come in and answer," Zi Yingfeng said, glancing at the general's wife seemingly unintentionally before closing his eyes and replying after a long silence.

"When did you fall ill?" Zi Yingfeng asked expressionlessly, as if he were commenting on the nice weather.

"Reporting to the General, I discovered that the Master had a slight fever when I delivered his meal this morning, so I came to report immediately."

"Let's get a doctor to take a look," Zi Yingfeng said calmly before getting up.

As soon as she finished speaking, Fengyin quickly floated back to Zijin's bedside to await the arrival of the doctor.

Zi Jin's breathing became increasingly rapid, and her face turned an unnatural dark purple.

Kazane was completely panicked. The person who had been with her for half a year was now suffering from illness, and perhaps... something really bad was going to happen to him. How could Kazane accept that?