Despite the warm weather, Qiu Lingling was wrapped in a thick silver fox fur robe, huddled by the brazier. Her face was pale, even her lips were bloodless, and her large eyes were no longer bright, her gaze unfocused.
Seeing his anger, she lowered her head and dared not speak.
Jin remained silent for a moment, then squatted down, took one of her hands, which was icy cold and pitifully thin.
"Still cold?"
"I'm so sleepy," she whispered, lifting her eyelids to look at him pitifully.
Unable to sleep, she was consciously enduring the torment of the cold poison. At this point, Jin quietly looked at her, at her extremely tired little face, and thought sadly, "That's enough. Since I can't keep her, let her go peacefully."
He decided to give up and muttered, "Sleep when you want to."
She rubbed her eyes and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, I'm just a little cold. Can you get me some wine? I won't sleep."
It wasn't just "a little" cold; Jin also nodded: "Jin Garden doesn't have any wine. I'll ask them to go buy some."
Her big eyes regained their sparkle, a hint of mischief in them, and Qiu Lingling said seriously, "No need to buy any, I have wine."
Where?
"In your precious room."
Fine wine can bring back spring
Among the dazzling array of jewels, Jin Huanlai indeed found a jar of wine hidden behind several large coral trees. It had already been opened, and it seemed that only half a jar remained inside. This made him both amused and exasperated. He had forgotten that the little girl was a drunkard, and Jin Yue forbade his disciples from drinking alcohol, so she must have hidden the wine in this place.
Half of the lotus leaves on the south side have already been removed, and the water on the wide pond ripples and shimmers with golden light.
Despite the bright sun overhead, Jin Huanlai felt as if he were holding a block of ice, with a chill constantly seeping from his body. He had never liked the sun so much. The essence of the sun was the most yang thing in the world, and noon was the time when yang energy was at its peak. He had long noticed that whenever the little girl was under the sun, she would stop shivering and her complexion would be better. However, simply basking in the sun was clearly far from enough to deal with the cold poison of "Half-Moon Dew" in her body.
Jin remained silent, pouring her a drink with one hand.
Qiu Lingling picked up the wine, smelled it, and said regretfully, "It doesn't taste as good as before."
He drank it all in small sips from the large jade cup.
After a few drinks, perhaps feeling bored, she looked at him and said, "Would you like to drink with me?" Seeing that he didn't answer immediately, she quickly pleaded, "Just one drink."
"good."
She was happy and raised her glass to his lips.
He lowered his head and drank the wine from her hand.
The wine was very mild, not spicy enough, and had a slightly bitter taste. His stomach instinctively resisted, and Jin struggled to swallow the last mouthful. Suddenly, he choked, and a long-lost burning sensation spread from his throat all the way to his heart, causing a dull ache in his heart. His handsome face turned bright red.
Qiu Lingling patted him with a laugh: "You can't drink."
Jin glared back.
.
Perhaps it was because the sun was too strong, but the pale little face became much more lively. This scene reminded Jin of that night when the little girl drank under the moonlight, but her smile was as bright as the sun.
Before she'd even finished half the drink, her large eyes were already half-open: "Jin, come back, I... I still want to sleep."
Jin took the cup and placed it aside, saying calmly, "Then go to sleep."
Qiu Lingling touched his face: "You haven't slept for several days either, are you also very tired?"
He was teased again, but Jin didn't dodge: "I'm not sleepy."
The spirit truly transcends the body; even after several days without rest, one can still maintain boundless energy. However, the physical signs are quite evident: the handsome face shows signs of fatigue, the complexion is dull, and the eyes are dark-rimmed.
Qiu Lingling stared at him for a while, then suddenly straightened up and whispered in his ear, "I drink medicine every day, I'm very sick, aren't I?"
The little girl wasn't confused after all; Jin nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll go to sleep first, and take my medicine when I wake up, okay?"
"good."
"You should go to sleep too."
"good."
She added worriedly, "Remember to wake me up."
Jin looked at the pool water again: "I'll try my best."
Reassured by the promise, she fell asleep almost the moment she closed her eyes.
So tired that the moment she fell asleep, a look of relief instantly appeared on her face. Her delicate eyelashes and the smile on her lips exuded a serene beauty. That's why there's a saying that a person is most touching when they are asleep. They have no worries, no schemes, no sorrows. Many people don't have that relaxed and peaceful expression when they are awake.
I wish I could wake you up, but there's a word for it: helplessness.
Jin Huanlai slowly lowered his head and glanced at her, then quickly looked away, gazing at the clear waves on the pond. The midday sun was quite strong, but he felt no heat at all, because the chill emanating from the person in his arms was growing stronger and stronger, seeping through his clothes and into his skin, chilling him to the bone.
Look, there are many things in this world that you can't control. Overnight you can become penniless and everyone leaves. Now that you have money, those who are willing to stay with you can still be taken away. No amount of money can keep you. Separation in life and death happen to one person by such coincidence.
Jin shook his head.
No, don't think like that. The little girl only has an instinctive attachment to him because she lost her family. He just craves her company. It's like a lone goose that can stay together for a while. She needs his protection, but he feels good having something with him. That's all. Since he doesn't plan to stay by her side forever, she will leave sooner or later. It doesn't matter if she leaves sooner or later, right?
Jin returned in silence.
No, I'd rather she left alive.
.
As the sun set, the shadows on the ground grew longer. Several mute servants stood in the distance, gazing in this direction, their expressions seemingly somewhat saddened. The little girl was all too familiar with them.
He didn't know when, but the chill emanating from her arms had weakened. Jin hadn't moved or looked down. He had promised to wake her, but he didn't have the courage to do so.
Until she moved slightly.
His gaze froze, and he slowly lowered his head, whispering, "Lingling?"
There was no movement; it seemed that what she had just felt was all an illusion. She was fast asleep, and thanks to the setting sun, a faint blush appeared on her pale face.
The faint breath felt almost unreal. Hesitantly, he couldn't help but raise his hand to touch that face.
Her originally cold face suddenly warmed up!
Jin suddenly turned his face, staring straight at the wine jar beside him. No, such a strong, cold aura could not be resolved by just a few cups of wine. But the little girl had been right under his nose the whole time, and he had never seen her touch anything else.
There was still a little wine left in the jar, and he picked it up with one hand and shook it.
The wine jar crashed heavily to the ground, shattering into several pieces. Wine splashed everywhere, filling the air with its aroma. At the same time, something rolled out, its color becoming even more vibrant and beautiful in the sunlight—it was a fiery red toad.
Jin stayed for half a day, smiling.
God, are you playing a joke on me? Do you want Grandpa Jin to perform a scene of life and death?
Having maintained one posture for a long time, his legs were already a little stiff, but he felt more cheerful than ever before. Jin Huanlai tightly gripped the fire toad, picked up the little girl, and stood up. Suddenly, he caught sight of the servants watching in the distance and couldn't help but glare angrily.
Have you had enough of this damn performance? This master will skin you alive!
.
The fire toad, originally from the hot and humid desert beyond the Great Wall, absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, and is extremely yang in nature, making it an excellent medicine for dispelling cold and detoxifying. Such a rare treasure would be carefully treasured by whoever possessed it. However, this fire toad held extraordinary significance, representing the humiliating history of the former leader of the Jin Dynasty disguised as a woman, and was naturally disliked. It was left in some unknown corner, intermittently forgotten, perhaps by chance by a young girl who picked it up to play with, and somehow it ended up in a wine jar.
Jin crossed his arms and asked, "Don't you feel like a failure?"
"I can't believe it, I can't believe it..." Jin Yue looked defeated, threw the fire toad back, and muttered curses, "The problem that I've been racking my brains for years has been solved by just a piece of broken stone."
Seeing the faint bluish-black circles around his eyes, Jin couldn't bear it and told the truth: "It won't work on its own; it needs to be combined with medicine. Your efforts have not been in vain."
Jin Yue nodded: "Of course."
As they were talking, Qiu Lingling rushed in from outside, carrying a bundle on her shoulder. Her face had regained its color, and her big eyes were bright and lively: "Jin, come back! I've prepared everything!"
Jin Yue raised his eyebrows, what's going on?
Jin Huanlai said casually, "I'm going to take her back to Jin Garden."
Jin Yue was slightly taken aback, then smiled sinisterly: "Finally, I've taken it back to raise."
Jin glared angrily: "Bullshit! I'm just worried that if I leave it with you, something bad might happen in the future, and it'll cause trouble!"
Jin Yue snorted and sighed, "I was careless in taking on disciples. My eldest disciple became the sect leader, and not only is no one filial to him, but now even my youngest disciple is being taken away. Who will massage my shoulders and back?"
Hearing this, Qiu Lingling hesitated: "Then I..."
Jin raised a fist and smiled, "This disciple is willing to come every day to massage your back, sir."
Jin Yue choked for a moment, then waved his hand: "Go, go, go away, all of you get lost!"
"Thank you." Jin turned around, pulled the hesitant Qiu Lingling along, and left.
"You brat!" Jin Yue glared at the two backs, blowing his beard. "Heavens, please grant me a respectful and filial disciple!"
The prayer was indeed answered. Qiu Lingling quickly ran back, leaned against the door frame, and winked at the doorway: "Master, don't be angry. I will come back to see you often."
"What the hell are you looking at!" A hand pulled her away.
.
The famous teahouse has private rooms upstairs, where there are only two guests, a master and a servant.
"Just as you predicted, young master, Cui Youyuan was overjoyed to hear that we were willing to give him 20% of the profits, and immediately agreed to hand over the Cui family's tea business..." Liu Bai reported in detail from the side, his face full of respect.
The tea on the table remained untouched. The young master sat calmly by the window, glancing sideways at the street below. It was unclear whether he was listening or not. His expression showed no surprise, only a faint smile, the kind of smile typical of someone accustomed to victory.
Knowing his temperament, Liu Bai didn't say anything more, but tentatively suggested, "Should we write a letter to the master...?"
The young master suddenly interrupted him: "The Thousand Hands Sect is indeed invincible with poison."
Liu Bai was baffled when he uttered such an irrelevant remark.
The young master withdrew his gaze and cheerfully ordered, "Tell them to brew another pot of good tea." It was truly an eye-opening experience that the kitten had escaped with its life.
Liu Bai habitually suppressed his doubts and agreed to go out, but before he could turn around, a dark figure ran in from outside the door.
"Yi Qinghan!"
.
Amidst the loud shouts, Liu Bai nearly collapsed. Seriously? You think just because the young master looks friendly, you can take him for granted? This little wild girl dares to call the young master by his given name!
The little girl completely ignored him, her big eyes locking onto the young master, and exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful, Yi Qinghan! I was just about to go find you!"
The young master smiled but said nothing.