After experiencing this series of dramatic ups and downs, combined with days of continuous travel without rest, Shen Qingyao’s already lingering illness became increasingly severe.
Lu Zhao held her in his arms. At first, she could still chat with him a bit, but gradually, her voice grew softer and deeper until, finally, only a few faint responses remained. Then Lu Zhao felt a weight in his arms as the young girl’s head drooped onto him; she had already fallen asleep.
Lu Zhao paused, looking down at the dark circles under the girl’s eyes, feeling increasingly guilty.
“Young Master, are we returning to the Duke’s residence?” Cui Qiao, seeing from afar that her Miss was sound asleep, quickly fetched a thin blanket from the carriage to cover her Miss, then respectfully stepped back and asked.
The crisis in the capital had been resolved, and the Princess Duanhua had been worried about the two children for days. By rights, they should return home first to reassure their parents. But considering his own disheveled state and Yaoyao’s condition, returning home now would likely cause a commotion and unnecessary worry for their parents.
After a moment of thought, Lu Zhao shook his head, lowering his voice to avoid waking Shen Qingyao, “Not yet. Go find Shen Qingli and ask her to arrange a side hall for us to stay in the palace for the night. Also, send a few people to report our safety to the Duke’s residence and the Shen family.”
“Yes.” Cui Qiao didn’t dare delay. Since Lu Zhao was with Shen Qingyao, she wasn’t needed, so she quickly turned and left.
Lu Zhao adjusted the person in his arms and then turned, heading towards the palace.
Shen Qingyao slept very deeply.
Lu Zhao took her to the side hall, ordered hot water to be brought in, and personally cleaned and dressed her in comfortable, clean clothes. Only after this did he go to the bathroom to wash up. After washing, he quietly lay down beside her.
Throughout this process, Shen Qingyao didn’t move an inch, sleeping soundly, unlike before when she would instinctively snuggle up to him upon sensing his presence.
Lu Zhao paused but, seeing her steady breathing, attributed it to her exhaustion from the journey and didn’t think much of it. He snuggled closer, positioning her comfortably in his arms as she usually slept, and closed his eyes.
When he awoke again, Shen Qingyao was still in the same position as before.
Lu Zhao frowned.
Shen Qingyao wasn’t a restless sleeper, usually just turning over a few times a night. But now, she hadn’t moved at all, not even changing the position of her hands.
Looking more closely, he noticed that although she was asleep, her brows were tightly furrowed, and a fine layer of sweat covered her forehead and nose. Her eyelids twitched as if she were having a distressing dream, wanting to wake but unable to. Lu Zhao leaned over her, taking her hand to find it clenched tightly. He had to exert some force to pry it open, revealing red marks from her unconscious grip.
Lu Zhao’s heart sank, feeling something was wrong. He hurried to the door, shouting, “Fetch the imperial physician! And Kong Lin! Bring Kong Lin as well! Hurry!”
Hong Yun, standing guard outside, was shocked. The only person who could make Young Master lose his composure like this was Madam. Hong Yun responded quickly, running off while thinking to herself: my legs have gotten so much exercise running to fetch doctors for Madam…
The side hall was silent, everyone’s eyes fixed on the elderly man quietly taking Shen Qingyao’s pulse, afraid to make a sound and disturb him. They hoped to glean some clues from his expression about Shen Qingyao’s condition.
The elderly man was, of course, Kong Lin. He frowned, not relaxing even as he withdrew his hand after finishing the pulse diagnosis. Only when he shakily stood up with his cane did Shen Qingli dare to approach and anxiously ask, “Doctor, how is she?”
Lu Zhao lowered his eyes and looked over. Kong Lin sighed deeply and said frankly, “Worry and fear, coupled with a long journey, would exhaust even the strongest body. Moreover, this girl was born with a heart condition. I thought that after so many years of care, it would have improved somewhat, but I never expected… sigh.”
He didn’t finish his sentence, sighing once more, almost causing Shen Qingli to pass out prematurely. Trembling, she asked uncertainly, “What… what did you not expect? Is Yaoyao not getting better?”
Kong Lin suddenly turned to look at her, his deep eyes flashing with brilliance but also helplessness. He shook his head and said, “When has this girl ever been well? I will do my best.”
With that, he exchanged a look with Tu Lan, who was waiting on the side. They both carried their medical kits and went to prepare the medicine.
Shen Qingli felt a chill throughout her body, still unable to accept the reality.
Kong Lin was hailed as a miracle doctor of the time, yet even he could only say he would do his best?
Shen Qingli turned her head to look at the little girl sleeping unconsciously on the bed. She was so thin and pale, having battled this illness for over a decade, and yet, ultimately, she was losing the fight. With a sour nose, Shen Qingli turned her head in sorrow.
She noticed that Lu Zhao, who had been keeping vigil by the bed, remained silent. He held Shen Qingyao’s hand with an expression of a trapped beast on his face.
The miracle doctor said that Yaoyao was stressed and frightened, and had traveled a long way. Ultimately, it was because of him. Lu Zhao closed his eyes, his already remorseful heart aching even more. The little girl’s hand was in his, her wrist so thin that one hand could encircle it with room to spare, as if it would break with a snap. Her weak pulse was barely detectable.
Lu Zhao pressed her hand to his forehead. The hands that could write beautifully and wield a sword to cut down thousands trembled slightly for the first time out of fear.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Shen Qingyao slowly woke up. Apart from feeling a bit heavier and unable to muster strength, she only felt the familiar pain in her chest, which she had grown accustomed to over the past few days. She didn’t think much of it, assuming she had just taken a nap.
She coughed lightly, and not far away, the sound of clinking cups could be heard. Before long, Lu Zhao appeared before her. Shen Qingyao, in a good mood, smiled at him, feeling a rare sense of peace. However, Lu Zhao showed no response.
Shen Qingyao blinked, curiously calling out, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao?”
It was as if Lu Zhao was truly awakened by her call. He snapped back to reality, his eyes reddening under Shen Qingyao’s puzzled gaze.
What was going on? Shen Qingyao was even more puzzled. After a while, she hesitated and asked, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, am I… not well?”
Lu Zhao shook his head, his eyes deeply fixed on her, and said hoarsely, “It’s nothing.”
“Is it really nothing?” Shen Qingyao didn’t quite believe it and joked, “Then why do you look like I’m about to die…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Lu Zhao’s expression change drastically, becoming extremely unpleasant. Shen Qingyao couldn’t laugh anymore. She slowly placed her small hand on Lu Zhao’s cheek and said dejectedly, “No way… am I really going to die?”
“Nonsense!” Lu Zhao frowned, grabbing her hand, and solemnly said, “You must not say that word again! You won’t die, and I won’t let you die.”
The sincerity in his eyes touched Shen Qingyao. She pursed her lips and smiled, nodded seriously, and said loudly, “Yes! Of course, I believe in Elder Brother Lu Zhao.”
Shen Qingyao truly didn’t care much.
After all, the overall situation was set, and Lu Zhao had returned safely. She just had to wait for the system to settle her rewards, and then the illness would be fine. However, thinking about the rewards, Shen Qingyao’s brow furrowed slightly. After careful calculation, it had been quite some time since the system last appeared to chat with her.
Where were her rewards? Where was her big reward?
Just as she was thinking, the palace door of the side hall was pushed open. Shen Qingyao and Lu Zhao simultaneously turned to look, and saw Princess Duanhua striding in briskly. Lu Zhao was momentarily stunned, then smiled and stepped aside. Shen Qingyao looked over in confusion, wondering why he was avoiding his mother.
However, the next moment, she understood.
After entering, Princess Duanhua didn’t spare a glance at her son who had just escaped danger. Without stopping, she headed straight towards Shen Qingyao.
Before Shen Qingyao could get up from the bed to pay her respects, Princess Duanhua pulled her into her arms, tears brimming in her eyes. She checked Shen Qingyao up and down, muttering, “Oh, my dear Yaoyao, my baby! Let Mother have a look at you. I heard you fell ill again? Are you better now? Do you still feel unwell? Oh, why did you have to go out? You’ve suffered so much! My heart aches for you!”
“Mo… Mother…” Shen Qingyao was overwhelmed by the unexpected affection, momentarily forgetting where to place her hands. In the end, she mimicked Lu Zhao’s usual comforting gesture and patted Princess Duanhua’s back gently, saying softly, “Mother, I’m fine.”
As she spoke, she winked at Lu Zhao, who was chuckling on the side, silently pleading for help. She was being squeezed so tightly she could hardly breathe!
Seeing the two most important women in his life hugging, Lu Zhao felt a warmth in his heart. Noticing Shen Qingyao’s pleading look, he couldn’t help but smile again. He then cleared his throat and said, “Ahem, Mother, you should let go of Yaoyao, you might scare her.”
Princess Duanhua turned her head and glared at him. This son, who she had always been proud of, was now getting on her nerves. She scolded, “Scare her? Am I the one scaring her, or are you scaring us? Others set a trap, and you just walked into it. You were lucky nothing happened, but what if something had? Did you think about us?”
She was still upset about the day Lu Zhao had gone alone to the city wall to rescue them.
Saying this, Princess Duanhua let go of Shen Qingyao and wiped her tears. Lu Zhao, feeling a bit awkward after being scolded, scratched his nose and smiled sheepishly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Yes, Mother, you are right! It was my fault. I apologize to you.”
Unexpectedly, Princess Duanhua snorted coldly and shook off his hand. “Apologize to me for what? It’s not like anything happened to me! But our Yaoyao…” Her gaze softened as she looked at Shen Qingyao with pity. “Yaoyao followed you to the south and suffered so much. She was attacked, fell ill, and was constantly worried…”
Listening to this, Shen Qingyao was dumbfounded. Seeing Lu Zhao also looking at her, she quickly shook her head. She didn’t blame Lu Zhao for any of this; it wasn’t something he could control.
She opened her mouth to help defend him but saw Lu Zhao nodding with a smile, saying, “Yes, I also apologize to Yaoyao! It was my fault…”
“Ah? No… I…” Shen Qingyao was flustered, shaking her hands, not knowing what to say.
What was going on? Princess Duanhua was ignoring her own son and showering her with care instead. Lu Zhao was her biological son, yet now it seemed as if he were the son-in-law.
Having received this apology, Princess Duanhua’s anger subsided significantly. She wiped her tears again and turned back to hold Shen Qingyao’s hand, showering her with affectionate concern. After inquiring about her condition thoroughly and confirming that Shen Qingyao was indeed feeling better, Princess Duanhua sighed and said softly, “I originally wanted Madam Shen to come with me, but she sprained her ankle when coming down from the city wall that night. Lord Shen is also busy, so I came to see you first. When you feel better, let Lu Zhao take you back to visit your parents, alright?”
Facing her loving gaze, Shen Qingyao felt a lump in her throat. It had indeed been a long time since she had seen her parents, so she nodded obediently.
Thinking about her mother being injured, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried. From then on, her spirits were not very high. Seeing this, Lu Zhao finally spoke up, “Mother, Yaoyao just woke up. Whatever you have to say, let’s wait until we return home in a few days. Let her rest first.”
Hearing this, Princess Duanhua paused. Seeing that Shen Qingyao indeed didn’t look well, she didn’t say much more. After giving a few more instructions and leaving a large pile of tonics, she finally left.
After sending his mother off, Lu Zhao returned and saw that Shen Qingyao was still drooping her head. He couldn’t help but sigh. He walked over, sat beside her, reached out, and pulled her head onto his shoulder. Smiling, he said, “Tsk, my little crybaby who I just managed to coax, why are you about to cry again after just saying a few words to my mother?”
Thinking of her parents, Shen Qingyao sniffled, turned her head, and glared at him, “I am not!” After a pause, she added, “You’re the crybaby!”
Lu Zhao laughed again, turned his head, wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with his fingertip, and then seriously held it up in front of her, raising an eyebrow, “Who’s the crybaby now?”
With evidence in hand, Shen Qingyao was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she could only puff up her cheeks, press his hand down, and take the opportunity to wipe away the ‘evidence.’ She then said fiercely, “Mother just left, and you’re already bullying me! I’ll definitely tell on you when we get back!”
The girl’s fierce and angry look was much more lively, and her face was no longer as pale as before. Lu Zhao, having achieved his goal, felt quite pleased. He leaned back with her in his arms, his chest vibrating with laughter.
He then deliberately sighed and said leisurely, “Yes, now that we’ve returned to the capital, our Yaoyao has her Eldest Brothers and Eldest Sister, Father and Mother, and even my parents are here to back you up. If Yaoyao gets angry and wants to complain, I, this poor little thing, can only endure it…”
At this moment, the ‘poor little thing’ was playing with Shen Qingyao’s hand, occasionally squeezing and scratching it, making her palm itch. She tried to pull her hand back to escape, but he caught it again and continued to play with it.
Poor little thing? Shen Qingyao glanced at him sideways, only to see that handsome face smiling, eyes slightly closed, looking obedient and at her mercy, which made her heart skip a beat.
Thinking of how the Princess had scolded him just now, it seemed as he said, in the capital, she really had many people backing her up?
Unable to hold back, she burst out laughing and leaned most of her weight on him.
Raising her head from his embrace, she used her other free hand to touch his smoothly defined jawline. Shen Qingyao hummed softly with satisfaction, “You’re right! So, don’t mess with me! Serve me well, and there will be plenty of benefits for you!”
Just as she finished speaking, the hand around her waist tightened. Lu Zhao opened his eyes, his gaze very dangerous, “Oh? What kind of benefits? Is it this kind of benefit?”
Before Shen Qingyao could react, Lu Zhao leaned in.
“Mm…”